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Senate will oppose interim govt -Senator

Posted by By Same Akpe, Abuja on 2006/08/04 | Views: 573 |

Senate will oppose interim govt -Senator


There were indications on Thursday that the Senate would oppose any effort by the executive to extend the tenure of the present administration.....

There were indications on Thursday that the Senate would oppose any effort by the executive to extend the tenure of the present administration through an interim government.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy and a supporter of the defunct third term agenda, Senator Hosea Ehinlawo, told journalists that it would be difficult for the executive to get through the back door what it could not achieve through the front.

He said an interim government in the absence of any political exigency would amount to undemocratic behaviour.

Ehinlawo said before the Senate went on break, there was no bill from the executive on interim government. He, however, added there were speculations on the issue.

He said, "Interim government, I don‘t know how it will come because this is a democratic country. And democracy is at play.

"I don‘t know how people can imagine an interim government, how people can anticipate it whether there will be trouble in this country for an interim government to come."

He added that if there would be any delay in the hosting of elections next year, the existing political parties rather than the Independent National Electoral Commission should be held responsible.

He said INEC had provided all the requirements for the elections, but the political parties had not initiated any action at any level.

Ehinlawo said, "INEC is on course and I don‘t know how people happen to come out to talk against INEC. INEC is following the timetable.

"The parties have to prepare. The parties themselves have not even held their primaries. They have to do that. They have to organise their homes.

"For now, generations of parties are still in a shambles. We have heard of formation of many parties again in addition to the over 30 that we had before, and INEC will have to deal with parties.

"The parties themselves are not yet in shape, they are not in form. And who are they to go and check somebody else?"

Ehinlawo who is seeking re-election to the Senate, said the situation in his senatorial district was pathetic in terms of neglect by oil producing companies.

He said as the only oil producing area in Ondo State, it was expected that a lot would be done to develop the area but that the situation on the ground was rather the reverse.

The senator stated: "I have seen that we have not been developed at all. The riverine area of this country has not been developed even though we are the bread winners, the goose that lay the golden egg.

"It is my hope to be part of the development of this country. So much has been taken from the area and not so much has been given to them; no drinking water even though they live in areas regarded as riverine areas.

"Those who are educated don‘t get employed. And the wealth of the nation comes from this area. Few are in wealth while most people are in abject poverty.

This accounts for the restiveness of the youth. They don‘t have anything to do. I think they have not been properly taken care of. The leadership of the country must do something for them."

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