In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika, Speaker Salaam stressed that the insensitivity displayed by the sponsor of the bills has further aggravated the misconception of the people about the disposition of the National Assembly towards the anti-corruption fight of President Muhamnadu Buhari led government.
He charged the lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to as a matter of duty, address the world Press conference and disassociate themselves from the legislative rascality being championed by some Senators who enjoyed confrontation with the executive, in order to be seen and be believed to be working on the same page with the President, and to make a statement that they would support any action suggesting changing of the goal post in the middle of the game.
He said: "Our party promised to be fair and just to all Nigerians irrespective of party affiliation, and the potent way to do that is to allow the course of justice to run without fair or favour, but for some Senators to now come up with controversial bills that would be perceived to be designed for personal interest of an individual suggests that some people are enjoying the raging confrontation between the National Assembly and the Executive, and any progressive minded APC lawmaker must not be found in that mode."
Speaker Salaam then clarified that there was no crime in sponsoring bill, but the two bills slated for amendment were crucial to the trial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki, despite the fact that they would not have retrospective value to the case at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, but the timing of the amendment would push Nigerians to hold the National Assembly in contempt, and could have a trickle-down effect on the perception of the people at the state legislature.
He asserted that there could be a genuine friction between any of the two arms of government, but the disagreement must be on principles of national interest, saying that Nigerians were suffering, and would want the legislature and the executive to operate on the same wavelength in order to deliver palliative measures and good governance that would generate life abundance for citizenry; saying that was the credible way to assert independence of institutions, not a celebrated crisis in the media.
Signed:
Goke Butika
CPS to the Speaker