The Senate on Thursday berated President Muhammadu Buhari over uncomplimentary remarks on the the National Assembly.
Buhari had come down hard on the members of the National Assembly.
He said unlike the previous administrations, he has made the highest provision for capital projects; N1.3 trillion, in the budget he took to the Assembly.
However, coming under point of order, Senator Dino Melaye said President Buhari’s statement on National Assembly is an assault on it.
Melaye added that such statement should not be allowed to go unnoticed.
Melaye said: “I felt the statement is unpresidential but it is an assault on my person and the institution of the National Assembly where I am proudly a member.
“Such derogatory statement and insult on the National Assembly should not be allowed to go unnoticed.
“I am very proud to be a member of the National Assembly.
“I have been for 11 years .
“For the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to so speak in low tunes about the National Assembly, I begin to ask myself if Donald Trump will address the Congress or the Senate of the United States of America in like manner.
“One then begins not to wonder why we should summon the IG and refuse to come we are not surprised why Directors General of parastals and heads of agencies will refuse to honour the summon of the National Assembly .
“The occasion where the President made the statement was the delegation when the Buhari Campaign Organisation led by Comptroller-General of Customs.
“Comptroller-General of Customs is a rank, and custom is a paramilitary organization and if the Comptroller-General of Customs will be leading Buhari Campaign organisation that is an aberration and against his oath of office.
“When he took his oath of office, the Constitution is very clear. We all swore that our personal interest will not conflict with our official responsibility and duties.
“It is an aberration, it is unconstitutional, it is undemocratic for a paramilitary headed by a Comptroller-General of Customs to lead a campaign organisation to the President and they were welcomed. So that this will not continue , so that very soon we will not begin to see IG attending the next APC convention on June 23, so that will not see the chief of Army Staff shouting APC in some of the campaign, we must as a senate take a strong decision to protect our institution.
“We are creating great men when we are supposed to be creating great institution. The statement of the President and the reason for allowing these people make this type of political affiliation despite their offices is reducing these institutions and our responsibility as a senate is to protect these institutions and to build them and preserve them. ”
In his remarks, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, said it is possible the President was misquoted, but called for the need to protect institution of National Assembly.
Saraki said: “First of all, I do not believe that Mr. President wants to be misquoted by the National Assembly. As such, we should not rush to come to this conclusion and in so doing make contributions that might be of concern.
”At the same time, we all agree that this institution is an institution that we must all protect at any given time. The agencies that continue to participate in politics as well, we must call them to order.
”These institutions have a role to play and as such they must not in any way be seen to be doing things like that.”
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