Buhari to National Assembly: your support crucial to fixing Nigeria

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari yesterday solicited the support of members of the National Assembly in the fight against corruption and other challenges facing the nation.

Gen. Buhari especially sought the collaboration of the lawmakers on the budget process and restructuring of the public sector.

The president-elect spoke in an address at the on-going induction of newly elected senators and members of the House of Representatives in Abuja.

He said collaboration between the Executive and the Legislature on the budget process and the restructuring of the public sector would enable the country to collectively tackle the menace of high recurrent cost at the expense of capital and human development.

President-elect recognised the legislature as a critical component and necessary ingredient of democracy and good governance.

He added that the legislature, by nature, is inherently democratic in the sense that all members are equal and are elected representatives of the people.

Gen. Buhari said: “As President-elect, I recognise this fact and believe that legislators carry this heavy burden of representation with all the seriousness it deserves.”

He noted that for a president to be successful in addressing community development and general welfare of the various people, he or she would benefit from working closely and in harmony with the legislative arm of government.

“I, therefore, commit myself to working with the legislature as development partners motivated by the desire to deliver good governance,” he said.

He listed some challenges facing the country to including “general insecurity and insurgency that has caused extreme human hardship and destruction of lives, livelihoods that may take us over a decade to rebuild across most of Northeast and some parts of Northwest.

“Devastation and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta area, which must be attended to.

“Decline in revenues due to fall in oil prices, which pose a threat to government’s capacity to deliver on reconstruction of devastated areas and the new government development agenda.

“Endemic corruption, which has crippled human and infrastructure development for decades. Unacceptably poor provision of power supply, which has had a crippling effect on development of small businesses and indeed the wider economy.

“De-industrialisation for the past three decades leading to closure of many industries and migration of many to other African countries.

“Unacceptably high levels of unemployment, especially youth unemployment reaching over 40 per cent.

“High cost of governance that has been crowding out capital and human development.

“Erosion of public social services such as infrastructure, health and education; and

“Lack of development in the agricultural and solid mineral sectors.”

He described the “these development challenges as the mission of my Presidency” and asked for the support of the members of National Assembly “on the battle front.”

On the way forward to tackle the challenges, Gen. Buhari noted that “first and foremost, appropriate policies needed to be put in place and such policies may have to be translated into laws.”

Secondly, he said the oversight functions of the legislature were critical in ensuring that policies were implemented effectively and transparently.

He added: “Therefore, my mission to bring integrity into governance would better succeed if complemented with a strong culture of transparent oversight.”

He listed the “need to collaborate on the budget process and restructuring of the public sector so as to collectively tackle the menace of high recurrent cost at the expense of capital and human development,” as the third step to tackle the problems.

He highlighted the urgent need to contain the high state of insecurity in the country.

 “All of you are representing various communities. We need to work together to address the problem from both its roots and manifestations.

“The strongest mitigating forces at this point are to redress the power sector deficits, encourage investments that are job-creating and focus on human development and reconstruction. We also need to deploy efforts in conflict resolution and peace-building in all our communities.

“I am here today, to invite you to work with the Executive as partners in progress, as champions of good governance and development and as warriors for change. Together, we can make this nation great and as a role model in Africa and other emerging economies and democracies.”

Congratulating the senators-elect and House members-elect “for being found worthy to be elected by the citizens in a fair and transparent election process”, Buhari said he was very pleased to be part of the induction programme and to address the elected members of the 8th National Assembly.

He said: “I am delighted to say that we stand on the threshold of history. For the first time in our post-independence history, power is going to be transferred from an incumbent ruling party to an opposition party.

“This is in spite of predictions of calamitous outcomes. Nigerians have indeed proven once again that they are a united people and stand resolute to protect its growing democracy.

“I wish to specifically acknowledge and laud the maturity exhibited by the political class, the professionalism of our security agencies, the competence and resilience of INEC, but above all the doggedness of Nigerians and their commitment to ensuring that their wishes are represented and respected.

“I daresay, it is equally a victory for all political parties and their leaderships for according due respect to the electoral process and accepting the results in most cases. I wish to specifically acknowledge the role played by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, for accepting the results of the election before final announcement was made.”

Senate President David Mark pledged that the National Assembly would work with Buhari for the country’s benefit.