9th Assembly Not A Rubber Stamped Legislature — Sen. Bashiru

— Says National Assembly Will Deliver New Electoral Act
Soonest
— Says Ex-Service Chiefs Ought Not To Be Barred From Serving As
Ambassadors, Simply Due To Inability To Tackle Insecurity

The senator representing Osun Central senatorial district at the
National Assembly, Ajibola Bashiru, has described as unrealistic
the allegation that the 9th assembly is a rubber stamp assembly,
one determined to do the bidding of the executive.

The former Attorney General of Osun State and Commissioner of
Justice made his opinion known during an interview with ‘The
Nations’^[1] held on March 17, 2021,
wherein he noted that contrary to public perception, the 9th Senate
has on numerous occasions rejected the demands of the executive,
including with regards appointment as well as loan requests. He
noted that the allegation of being a rubber-stamped Senate was
solely due to the collective arrangement of the Senate to avoid any
form of an altercation with the executive.

“Indeed, the so-called rubber-stamp tag does not tally with the
reality, if one considers the fact that on several occasions the
President’s nominees were rejected by this 9th Senate. There are so
many instances of this. For instance, a nominee to represent the
Southeast in the Law Reform Commission was rejected because he had
not been called to the Bar. Even though he is a qualified lawyer,
the law requires that he must be called to the Bar.”

“A request for a loan for the government to tackle COVID-19 was
also not ratified, even though the ruling party has the majority in
the National Assembly. As representatives of the people, we also
expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of security issues by
the government. Following up on that, we called for the sacking of
the Service Chiefs several times”

Sharing his opinion about the Senate’s confirmation of
ex-service chiefs as ambassadors, Sen. Bashiru noted that both
portfolios were different and as such should not be considered as
one. Whilst noting that Senate did pass a resolution condemning the
manner in which the then service chiefs were handling the
insecurity challenges in the country, he, however, noted that the
failure of the service chief to ‘dutifully’ perform their function
should not been used as a bar to frustrate the future ambitions of
the ex-service chiefs.

I am not saying the Service Chiefs did well on their job. The
Senate faulted the way they handled the insecurity situation in the
country and we passed resolutions to that effect. Nevertheless, we
still believe they have put some mechanisms in place that can help
in the fight against terror in the future. Besides, the job of an
ambassador is different from that of a military commander; they are
two different assignments and two different briefs.”

Speaking on the farmers’ Herders conflict, the Osun senator
noted that various solutions are being proffered to tackle the
menace, including, the strengthening of legislation to ensure that
trespassers and those who engage in the destruction of people’s
means of livelihood as adequately punished.

“I would say that several solutions have been proffered. First
and foremost is the question of the rule of law and the efficiency
of our law enforcement agents. The fact that somebody is raring his
animal does not give him the right to trespass and destroy someone
else’s farm. We must first and foremost see it as something that
has to do law and order. Secondly, the crude method of animal
husbandry that has been in use must be reviewed. It would be better
for all parties if the mode has dedicated ourselves to the service
of our country; despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19, we
have worked in a remarkable way at the committee level and at
plenary, to stabilize the Nigerian economy.

For instance, we have been able to revert back to the January to
December budget cycle. In order to boost our economy, we did
something novel, which is the extension of the implementation of
the capital aspect of 2020 amended Appropriation Act to the end of
the first quarter of 2021. We have tried to boost the revenue
capacity of the country bypassing the Finance Act. We have been
able to develop the revenue capacity for the oil and gas sector by
the passage of the Deep Offshore and Profit Sharing Contract
Act.ern method of animal husbandry is introduced.

What I am against is the ethnic coloration given to the problem.
Different ethnic groups are all over Nigeria doing their work. What
we must do is to see it purely as a law and order issue and not an
ethnic one. That one belongs to a particular tribe does not exclude
one from obeying the law. But, it has now become critical that we
review the system of animal husbandry being practiced in the
country.”

Senator Bashiru further noted that the 9th Assembly is currently
working hard to ensure that the Nigerians get a new electoral act
in no distant time, noting that the legacies of the 9th assembly
would speak for themselves, especially given the engagements the
assembly has been involved in.

We have dedicated ourselves to the service of our country;
despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19, we have worked in a
remarkable way at the committee level and at plenary, to stabilize
the Nigerian economy. For instance, we have been able to revert
back to the January to December budget cycle.

In order to boost our economy, we did something novel, which is
the extension of the implementation of the capital aspect of 2020
amended Appropriation Act to the end of the first quarter of 2021.
We have tried to boost the revenue capacity of the country
bypassing the Finance Act. We have been able to develop the revenue
capacity for the oil and gas sector by the passage of the Deep
Offshore and Profit Sharing Contract Act.

— Says National Assembly Will Deliver New Electoral Act
Soonest
— Says Ex-Service Chiefs Ought Not To Be Barred From Serving As
Ambassadors, Simply Due To Inability To Tackle Insecurity

The senator representing Osun Central senatorial district at the
National Assembly, Ajibola Bashiru, has described as unrealistic
the allegation that the 9th assembly is a rubber stamp assembly,
one determined to do the bidding of the executive.

The former Attorney General of Osun State and Commissioner of
Justice made his opinion known during an interview with ‘The
Nations’^[1] held on March 17, 2021,
wherein he noted that contrary to public perception, the 9th Senate
has on numerous occasions rejected the demands of the executive,
including with regards appointment as well as loan requests. He
noted that the allegation of being a rubber-stamped Senate was
solely due to the collective arrangement of the Senate to avoid any
form of an altercation with the executive.

“Indeed, the so-called rubber-stamp tag does not tally with the
reality, if one considers the fact that on several occasions the
President’s nominees were rejected by this 9th Senate. There are so
many instances of this. For instance, a nominee to represent the
Southeast in the Law Reform Commission was rejected because he had
not been called to the Bar. Even though he is a qualified lawyer,
the law requires that he must be called to the Bar.”

“A request for a loan for the government to tackle COVID-19 was
also not ratified, even though the ruling party has the majority in
the National Assembly. As representatives of the people, we also
expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of security issues by
the government. Following up on that, we called for the sacking of
the Service Chiefs several times”

Sharing his opinion about the Senate’s confirmation of
ex-service chiefs as ambassadors, Sen. Bashiru noted that both
portfolios were different and as such should not be considered as
one. Whilst noting that Senate did pass a resolution condemning the
manner in which the then service chiefs were handling the
insecurity challenges in the country, he, however, noted that the
failure of the service chief to ‘dutifully’ perform their function
should not been used as a bar to frustrate the future ambitions of
the ex-service chiefs.

I am not saying the Service Chiefs did well on their job. The
Senate faulted the way they handled the insecurity situation in the
country and we passed resolutions to that effect. Nevertheless, we
still believe they have put some mechanisms in place that can help
in the fight against terror in the future. Besides, the job of an
ambassador is different from that of a military commander; they are
two different assignments and two different briefs.”

Speaking on the farmers’ Herders conflict, the Osun senator
noted that various solutions are being proffered to tackle the
menace, including, the strengthening of legislation to ensure that
trespassers and those who engage in the destruction of people’s
means of livelihood as adequately punished.

“I would say that several solutions have been proffered. First
and foremost is the question of the rule of law and the efficiency
of our law enforcement agents. The fact that somebody is raring his
animal does not give him the right to trespass and destroy someone
else’s farm. We must first and foremost see it as something that
has to do law and order. Secondly, the crude method of animal
husbandry that has been in use must be reviewed. It would be better
for all parties if the mode has dedicated ourselves to the service
of our country; despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19, we
have worked in a remarkable way at the committee level and at
plenary, to stabilize the Nigerian economy.

For instance, we have been able to revert back to the January to
December budget cycle. In order to boost our economy, we did
something novel, which is the extension of the implementation of
the capital aspect of 2020 amended Appropriation Act to the end of
the first quarter of 2021. We have tried to boost the revenue
capacity of the country bypassing the Finance Act. We have been
able to develop the revenue capacity for the oil and gas sector by
the passage of the Deep Offshore and Profit Sharing Contract
Act.ern method of animal husbandry is introduced.

What I am against is the ethnic coloration given to the problem.
Different ethnic groups are all over Nigeria doing their work. What
we must do is to see it purely as a law and order issue and not an
ethnic one. That one belongs to a particular tribe does not exclude
one from obeying the law. But, it has now become critical that we
review the system of animal husbandry being practiced in the
country.”

Senator Bashiru further noted that the 9th Assembly is currently
working hard to ensure that the Nigerians get a new electoral act
in no distant time, noting that the legacies of the 9th assembly
would speak for themselves, especially given the engagements the
assembly has been involved in.

We have dedicated ourselves to the service of our country;
despite the constraints imposed by COVID-19, we have worked in a
remarkable way at the committee level and at plenary, to stabilize
the Nigerian economy. For instance, we have been able to revert
back to the January to December budget cycle.

In order to boost our economy, we did something novel, which is
the extension of the implementation of the capital aspect of 2020
amended Appropriation Act to the end of the first quarter of 2021.
We have tried to boost the revenue capacity of the country
bypassing the Finance Act. We have been able to develop the revenue
capacity for the oil and gas sector by the passage of the Deep
Offshore and Profit Sharing Contract Act.