Election of Lawan was bipartian, says Nnamani

Former Enugu State governor and Senator representing Enugu East, Chimaroke Nnamani, Friday said that the election of Senate, President Ahmad Lawan, was a bipartisan effort.

Nnamani also said that the expectation of majority of senators is that Lawan, would steer the affairs of the Senate with listening ear.

He told reporters in Abuja that majority of senators believed that “an academic and an intellectual will be able to read between the line, between an antagonistic legislature and a legislature that is alive to its responsibilities and helps the Executive to have a smooth operation of government.”

He noted that majority of Senators were expecting a vibrant Senate.

The Enugu East senator said that he had had the opportunity to study closely the Senate President and did a review of his background.

He said, “He has a PhD Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System from a UK University. That shows he is an academic, he is a man of study and an intellectual who has information.

“I have also had cause to work with him. I was in the Senate for four years. He was Chairman, Public Accounts Committee at that time. I’ve also had opportunity to interact with him and I’ve found him a gentleman.

“He comes across as an intellectual and a man in total control of his temperament. So I’m looking forward to working with him.

“He certainly has my support. I believe he’s going to steer the Senate with listening ears.

“So based on the election of Ahmad Lawan that happened on Tuesday, I can tell you it was a bipartisan effort.

“As an academic and an intellectual can be able to read between the fine line, between an antagonistic legislature and a legislature that is alive to its responsibilities and helps the Executive to have a smooth operation of government.”

“I believe that the two arms of government (Executive and Legislature) are co-dependent and as long as we wish each other well; as long as the focus is Nigeria, the Senate can act independently.

“The Senate can assert itself without confronting the Executive or jeopardizing the goals of discipline.

“I believe that Senator Ahmad Lawan is going to find a meeting point between the level of independence and the level of frustrating the Executive. But the two go together.

“After all you have to remember that this presidential constitutional democracy started in America.
Continue on Page 2