Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, has said that it is time for Nigerian leaders, especially the lawmakers, to reboot the country.
The senator noted that the majority of Nigerians are not entirely satisfied with their performance, hence the need to reboot the nation.
Senator Kaura, who stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 2017 Retreat for Legislators, organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), lamented that legislatures prior and shortly after independence were rarely accused of corruption – whether rightly or wrongly.
He said it was in recognition of this that the 8th National Assembly members have been working hard to uphold moral rectitude in line with the oath they took and in line with ‘the change begins with me’ mantra of the current administration.
The senator assured that the 8th Senate will ensure that the issue of corruption continues to be in the front burner of national discourse.
He said Nigeria’s democratic status would have probably collapsed and fallen like a pack of ill-arranged cards, if not for the timely intervention of the legislative arm.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Acting Director General, NIPSS, Mr. Jonathan Juma, said an effective legislative institution that is responsive to public needs and actively involved in public policy process is imperative to advancing democracy in Nigeria.
He said the retreat was designed to enhance the basic knowledge and skills of the participants for more effective interaction with the executive, particularly in the area of policy making.
The retreat had in attendance members of the House of Representatives Committee on Governmental Affairs and National Executive Members of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).