Senate President Godswill Akpabio has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to caution his Ministers and heads of extra-ministerial departments who have formed the habit of disrespecting the National Assembly (NASS).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Senate President made the appeal on Wednesday during the presentation of the 2025 budget proposal by President Tinubu.
Senator Akpabio stressed the importance of the need for the Ministers and the heads of extra-ministerial departments to respond promptly to requests from the NASS whenever they are invited, particularly during this period, to come and defend their sectoral allocations.
Akpabio further stressed that the invitation often extended to the Ministers and the heads of extra-ministerial departments was in the exercise of legislative oversight.
“They should not see invitations as a nuisance. They should know that any invitation is constitutional and we also have constitutional powers to take further actions when they refuse to appear.
“So, Mr President may wish to caution some of the Ministers who are intransigent and who do not give respect to this hallowed chambers. The only place that shows democracy in the world is the National Assembly.
“For those who disregard invitations from the National Assembly are not democrats, and therefore, have no place in your government,” the Senate President told President Tinubu.
Akpabio went further to say: “In spite of all achievements, Mr President and my dear compatriots, it is not yet Uhuru. We are light years away from where we ought to be.
“Some rivers remain to be crossed. The pains Nigerians feel now are mainly the pains of hardship occasioned by reforms. Let’s look at those pains as the pains of childbirth. Immediately a child is born, rejoicing starts with the smile of the child. I urge Nigerians to be patient to cooperate with you and maintain faith in your vision.
“Mr President, you cannot be everywhere. We are your eyes in the 469 constituencies. We the distinguished Senators and all members of the House of Representatives are your eyes in our constituencies and every corner of this nation.
“When our constituents struggle to afford rice, and they cannot, they come to us. When their shoes pinch as a result of wear and tear, and they cannot replace them, they come to us.
“Therefore, we are committed to ensuring that we help you at the grassroots level. Let no one attempt to bring the counsel of Ahithophel to bear that constituency projects are bad.
“So, I want to take a moment to appreciate the tireless efforts of National Assembly members who struggle on a daily basis to use their personal finances in order to help Mr President when he is not available”.