TheCable

Senate President Bukola Saraki has congratulated Yakubu Dogara on his election as speaker of the house of representatives, saying he has found a worthy partner with whom to move the 8th national assembly forward.

He described the new speaker as a “consumate politician and effective leader capable of galvanising the lower chamber into greater efficiency”.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Saraki said that “in the new speaker, he believes he has found a worthy partner with whom to drive the legislative agenda of the 8th senate and support the process of transforming Nigeria”.

The senate president noted that Dogara’s victory bore eloquent testimony to his wide acceptability by majority of the members of the newly-inaugurated house.

He urged all members of the house to put the division of the elections behind them and rally round the new leadership in the overall interest of the country.

“The election is over, it is time to unite, pull together and move the national assembly forward in the right direction. There should be no ill will towards anyone, and we must move all together irrespective of party affiliations,” Saraki said.

“This is the time to join hands to move the house, which is already reputed for its vibrancy. The country is waiting on us to take it to the next level through people-oriented legislation. 

Above all, let national interest be uppermost in your new leadership role, most especially in making laws that would bring the greatest good to greatest number of our people.

“We have been called to leadership at a critical time in our nation’s history. We are besieged by insurgency, unemployment, dwindling economic fortunes and a massive infrastructural deficit. These challenges are urgent and require that we find ways to forge a collective national agenda, a minimum deliverable legislative intervention that we must fast track to help underpin the policy direction of the executive and give a new lease of life to our people again.

“While wishing you a peaceful and successful tenure in office, may I use this medium to seek your collaboration as we aim to forge a closer engagement to achieve seamless legislative progress between both chambers. 

I believe that our ability to work in sync would greatly help us speed up critical bills – executive and private member bills – aimed at fast-tracking national development and urgently meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the populace for which we are privileged to represent at this time.”