Posted by By Rotimi Ajayi on
In the face of the impeachment move against him by members of the House of Representatives, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday pleaded with the leadership of the National Assembly to prevail on their members to always moderate their criticism of his policies with decency and responsibility.
In the face of the impeachment move against him by members of the House of Representatives, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday pleaded with the leadership of the National Assembly to prevail on their members to always moderate their criticism of his policies with decency and responsibility.
President Obasanjo made the plea just as the Speaker of the House of Representatives blamed the President for not encouraging close relationship between him and members of the National Assembly.
Speaking during an unusual visit to the office of the Speaker, President Obasanjo stated: 'Honourble Speaker, I have always appreciated and I will always appreciate the responsibility and respectable leadership the National Assembly is giving. It is responsible, respectable and distinguishing leadership.
'By virtue of the fact that sometimes, we may not feel and think the same way because your horizons would be different from the horizons of your members, when we disagree, let's disagree with a modicum of respect, decency and responsibility so that we can reap from what we disagree on. 'Even husband and wife disagree, some up to a point of divorce but in our own case, as long as Nigeria exists, we cannot disagree to the point of divorce because there will always be executive and legislature. So we might as well work out how we will live together, work together for the benefit of our people."
The President noted that his visit to the leadership of the National Assembly was to among other things, broker new relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government, which so far had related frictionally.
He said that his visit was also to mark Democracy Day, the day set aside to commemorate the commencement of present democratic dispensation, which he added was worth celebrating for having surpassed all past records in Nigeria. 'When you look at it, we have something to celebrate and to mark. Three days from now, we would have completed six years, the longest, the most durable so far, the one that has raised the expectation of Nigerians very high so far, the one that has pulled Nigeria from pariah state to a state being wooed and being respected all over the world, the one that is really positioning Nigerian economy socially and politically and I have no doubt will endure."
In his response, the Speaker of the House, Aminu Masari noted that the new approach of the President would go a long way in fostering stronger relationship between him and the National Assembly.
The Speaker said: ' we are more than pleased with the President's visit because we believe today we are making history that for the first time in history, the President is visiting the office of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
'We believe that it will go further to strengthening the collaborative efforts that we have been trying to foster at least for the last six years.
'It is equally good for the system that the world acknowledges today that Mr. President, as part of the ceremony to mark Democracy Day, has visited the office of revered offices of the National Assembly.
'We are glad also that you have given us an opportunity to meet you face to face, particularly those members who have not been opportuned to either visit the Villa or attend the ceremony in which you happen to be presiding. 'We are also telling Mr. President that we are people, the parliamentarians, that are grossly misunderstood and I hope that this kind of visit will open more opportunities for us.
'I will like a situation where Mr. President will be calling members by their names and I think we will further look forward to a situation where he will call a member and say, how are you doing and I will say I am fine sir.
'Today, we may disagree but we will always disagree to agree. Certainly, there are many areas we will disagree on. 'I want to cease this opportunity to say that our biggest problem in steering this democracy is the bureaucrats and technocrats from a very long time since the independence of Nigeria.
'Tafawa Balewa was only five years or so, Shagari was four years three months, so the power of advice, the power of execution, the power of everything has been with the bureaucrats."
He commended the President for being tolerant in the face of various criticisms against him in contrast with some state governors.
The President, who was dressed in flowing white agbada to the National Assembly was ushered into the precincts of the complex by all top officers of the Assembly at about 10.30 am and departed at about noon.