The House of Representatives has fired back at the former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman on his recent criticism of the National Assembly.<\/p>\n
The House in a statement by its deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese asked Lukeman to desist from what it called his needless criticism of the National Assembly, and instead, speak to issues of national importance.<\/p>\n
The House warning followed a statement issued by Lukman on Tuesday, July 2, where he said that the 10th Assembly is a failure.<\/p>\n
According to the statement, \u201cPartly because of the faint or almost complete absence of courageous voices in the National Assembly, the President and the members of the executive body of government are practically getting away with virtually every wrong decision that is injurious to the wellbeing of Nigerian citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cA good example is the impulsive declaration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to end petroleum subsidy without any clear plan, followed by another impulsive decision to float the naira exchange rate against other international currencies with hardly any plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did we get to this abysmally low level of legislative practice whereby it can almost be said that in Nigeria, democracy equates to darkness? Without going into details, combinations of many factors, which have taken place over the last 25 years are responsible.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the factors include the reality whereby systematically, the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly have been downgraded to the status of appointees of the President.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was largely made possible by the fact that the party machinery or organs, which are supposed to serve as the platforms for negotiations have been weakened and also subordinated to the President.\u201d<\/p>\n
The remarks of the former APC chieftain did not sit well with the legislative chamber as the deputy spokesman of the House, Mr Philip Agbese while reacting to Lukman\u2019s statement, described the ex-stalwart of the ruling party as a man looking for political relevance.<\/p>\n
\u201cLukman is advised to retrace his steps and embrace constructive criticism and restraint expected of an elder statesman,\u201d Agbese said in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The statement further read, \u201cSalihu Lukman\u2019s persistent attempts to assert relevance in the political sphere have led him to unfairly criticise the esteemed leadership of the National Assembly, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.<\/p>\n
\u201cLukman\u2019s baseless accusations against the National Assembly are regrettable diversions from the genuine challenges facing our nation. Those who thrive on anarchy and discord are the true obstacles to national cohesion and progress. Instead of responsibly addressing national issues, Lukman focuses on undermining dedicated leaders who are committed to serving the nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnown for his rigid and self-righteous stance, Lukman often positions himself as the sole arbiter of truth, dismissing alternative viewpoints. This inflexibility hinders meaningful dialogue and constructive engagement. We urge Lukman to refrain from dragging Senate President Akpabio and Speaker Abbas into his disputes, as the National Assembly has no role in dispensing patronage to disgruntled political operatives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agbese also questioned Lukman\u2019s public office records, stressing that his \u201cConsistent political failures, including his lacklustre tenure in various positions and his difficulty in maintaining relationships within political circles,\u201d were partly responsible for his resignation as Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum and as National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to him, \u201cThe 10th Assembly remains committed to its constitutional mandate of holding the executive accountable while advocating for constructive engagement over unnecessary conflict. Disagreements with the executive are approached with patriotism and the nation\u2019s best interests in mind. Unproductive friction between branches of government serves no purpose and undermines our nation\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe National Assembly is open to constructive criticisms and feedback from well-meaning Nigerians, as we uphold our commitment to serving the nation with integrity and diligence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives has fired back at the former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman on his recent criticism of the National Assembly. The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":90801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n