Leaders from 1999 responsible for present political and economic mess – Senate Pres. Saraki

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said on Tuesday that all public office holders in Nigeria since 1999, were guilty of the mistakes of the past that led the country to its present political and economic mess.

Saraki stated this while responding to a question on the secrecy of the National Assembly’s budget and corruption levelled against it by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a recent letter.

The Senate President insisted that it was wrong for anybody to hold an individual or group of people solely responsible for the mess of the past.

Saraki said what was required of all stakeholders was collective participation for the good of all Nigerians.

He, however, pledged that details of the N115bn National Assembly budget on a section-by-section basis, would be made public this year as against the usual practice.

He said, “We have all been here since 1999 up to the recent past when things were not done right, we are all part of it. I was there, you were there, every other political office holder in different capacities was there as well.

“The response of the 8th National Assembly is that the time for collective participation for the good of all Nigerians is here with us in line with the change mantra of the present administration. We are all on the same page for things to be done differently.

“I think what we need now from all stakeholders is more of cooperation, encouragement and participation as opposed to trying to hold one person responsible for the mistakes of the past that we are all part of. It is clearly not the thing needed now.

Saraki also condemned the recent Boko Haram attacks in Dalori, Borno State, where scores of people were reportedly killed and others injured.

In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President described the Boko Haram attacks against women and children on the outskirts of Maiduguri as unacceptable.

He said the development was coming at a time the nation had recorded gains in the fight against corruption and when the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, had commenced the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

He urged security agencies to ensure that such barbaric attacks did not distract them from the success they had recorded in the war against insurgency, by immediately extending their security cover and intelligence gathering mechanism to remote and isolated villages in the North-East.

Saraki said, “I condemn in totality this barbaric attack on mostly women and children in Dalori village. By all standards, these are defenceless and vulnerable groups. They need protection and we must ensure that they get protected.

“We have recorded tremendous gains in the war against Boko Haram and their atrocities. But the recent attacks show that more needs to be done to restore security which is needed for the current rebuilding efforts in the region to succeed.

“The Senate will make further consultations with the authorities to see further areas of intervention that we can make that will assist the military so that this kind of incident will never occur again.”

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