The faceoff between the executive and the federal legislature deepened yesterday, with the Presidency cancelling a dinner session earlier proposed between President Muhammadu Buhari and principal officers of the National Assembly. No reason was given for the cancellation of the dinner. An aide of the president confirmed the scheduled dinner but could not explain the cancellation.
“Yes, there was a planned dinner with the principal officers of the Senate and House of Representatives, but I don’t know why the president called it off,” a source told New Telegraph. A senator told our correspondent that the leadership of the Senate was “not even ready to have a dinner with a hostile president.”
The president had, on Monday, hosted service chiefs including the outgone Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to a dinner. Members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) took their turn on Tuesday with the National Assembly members scheduled for Wednesday and the judiciary for Thursday.
New Telegraph learnt that the Presidency had, in a letter dated Monday June 20, 2016, invited the two chambers to a dinner with the president yesterday. The letter was submitted to the Senate on Tuesday earlier in the day. It was, however, learnt that the Presidency brought another letter later that same Tuesday, postponing the dinner indefinitely.
Investigations carried out by New Telegraph indicated that the indefinite postponement was not unconnected with the deepening rift between the Presidency and the National Assembly, particularly the Senate. The executive arm has been battling to unseat the leadership of the Senate following the emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate, contrary to the wishes of the president and the governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) who preferred Senator Ahmad Lawan.
A source close to the Senate leadership, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the recent forgery charges prevailed against Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, had deteriorated the frosty relationship between the two arms of government.
The source further posited that the Presidency was suspicious and apprehensive that the aggrieved National Assembly members might decide to rubbish Buhari by turning down the dinner invitation or hostile during the breaking of fast, and therefore, resolved to put it off.
Although the letter putting off the dinner did not say it had been cancelled but rather postponed, it is obvious that, unless the two warring parties come to a rapprochement, such arrangement might not be in a hurry.
It will be recalled that the conflict between the executive and the Nation al Assembly took a more worrisome dimension as the former charged the two presiding officers of the apex chamber to court for allegedly forging the 2015 Senate Standing Orders.
The Senate, in reaction to the development, on Sunday, issued a strongly worded statement, accusing Buhari of trying to destabilise the National Assembly in order to foist a full dictatorship on the country. It also vowed not to be cowed by such moves, while assuring that it would defend the independence of the legislature and ensure the survival of democracy in Nigeria. Saraki and Ekweremadu were both served the court summons on Tuesday, and might be making their first appearance in court on Monday next week.
Meanwhile, Buhari has vowed to sustain a high tempo in the war against corruption instituted by his government until he leaves office. The president said that it was only through vigorously fighting corruption that the country would make any meaningful progress. He stated this yesterday while addressing State House staff who assembled to welcome him back from his recent medical vacation from the United Kingdom.
The president assured the staff that he would continue to lead the country with patriotic zeal, integrity, dedication and commitment to improving the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians. He explained that as long as he remains the country’s leader, all fraud must stop. “If they don’t believe us, they should go and see those we caught red handed with public funds.
This exercise will continue as long as this leadership is here. “Whoever takes anything that does not belong to him or that he is not entitled to, it will be documented and the person will be taken to court. “This is the only way I think we can bail ourselves out.
I am asking you to dedicate yourselves more to your country because I said more than 30 years ago, that there is no other country, but Nigeria,” the president stressed. Buhari said those who participated in the looting of the treasury would pay for it. “I have never in my life believed in corruption.
If we make any mistake in what we are doing and compromise our integrity, the country will be further dragged back. “We’ll not touch anybody that did not touch public funds. If you behave yourself, you will sleep soundly, your children and families will enjoy respect. “But if you have shortchanged the treasury, you will be caught and you’ll have your day in court,” the president said.
He lamented that it was difficult to change what people are used to over a long period of time. “It is not easy to preach change when people are used to something from 1999 till now. The change must take place because, as I said, we were used to getting $100 per barrel. This reflects on the economic predicament the country finds itself,” he noted.
According to him, this has affected the morale and integrity of a lot of people who do not bother to ask what is happening to their country. He said: “The fact that you work here, no matter what level, people expect you to know and they expect you to discuss with them intelligently and show your concern for your country and what we are going to leave for our children and grandchildren.
“Let’s not lose the opportunity for the future so that we can build infrastructure. Look at power, how much did we spend on power? From barbers to factories, shops, we all depend on power. “We are determined to rehabilitate our country for the sake of our children and our grandchildren. I have never in my life, from class monitor to this place, believed in corruption.”
The president, who thanked the staff for paying him the visit, said he was in good health after returning from the medical vacation. The staff who were drawn from about 12 departments in the villa, gathered in the fore court of the President’s Office where he addressed them. Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr. Mohammed Arabi, presented the staff to the president alongside the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and other aides.
