Marafa: Saraki is my senior… peace has returned to the senate
Kabiru Marafa, chairman of the senate committee on petroleum resources (downstream), says Senate President Bukola Saraki has been one of his close friends and seniors in the 7th assembly.
Addressing state house correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, Marafa said the reshuffling of committees in the senate was part of the moves to end the crisis in senate.
“I think reshuffling of committees is not new in any parliament. What made that of yesterday a little new is the circumstance of the emergence of this leadership and what followed,” he said.
“What happened yesterday is a result of the efforts the party has been putting in for reconciliation in the last few days.”
“The current Senate President Bukola Saraki has been one of my very close friends and senior in the 7th assembly. What you saw happened is what I will describe as loyalty to the party. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes only the party, it doesn’t recognize any individual.”
Marafa said peace had returned to the senate, but when asked if the unity forum opposed to Saraki would withdraw its case in court, he said: “We didn’t go to court because we didn’t like the face of those that emerged, but this is the will of our party. During the 7th assembly, we accorded the ruling party at that time the utmost cooperation and we knew the committees that we were given that time.
“But now, we are in power it is our own time and we should be accorded all the necessary cooperation. We should be seen to respect the party. If the party says withdraw the case, we will go on to withdraw the case.
“I think the reshuffling of committees is nothing new in any parliament. Maybe what makes that of yesterday a little new is the circumstances that led to the emergence of the present leaderships and what followed.”
The senator also described as “a huge and heavy joke” the recent insinuation that the senate was contemplating impeaching Buhari.
“You know in the legislature we crack a lot of jokes,” he said.
“Some light, some medium and some very heavy jokes and I think I will only describe that as a very heavy joke.
“But nobody is contemplating that. It is not a possibility; it has never been done and God willing it will not happen in this assembly.”
Marafa has simply confirmed what majority of Nigerians know. That when any national assembly member starts crying foul, playing holier than thou, he is simply saying my personal interest has not been taken care. The interest of the national is secondary and that is why nothing good has come out of the assembly for the common good of Nigerians this past seventeen year of “demonstration of crazy”, apology to Fela.