BMO To #Saraki: Your Tenure As Senate President Was A Disaster…..The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has taken a swipe at the former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, over his claim that the judiciary and the legislature are under President Muhammadu Buhari’s control.
In a statement by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said that it was an “irresponsible comment” that has no basis in fact.
“Our attention has been drawn to comments made by former Senate President Bukola Saraki through the Campaign Director, ‘Bukola Saraki Presidential Campaign Directorate’, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher at a political meeting in Kano where he made a number of unfounded claims against President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Perhaps the most grating of those allegations is the suggestion that the Judiciary and the Legislature are not independent under this administration.
“We see it as an attempt by a former Senate President to muddle up the waters at a time the 9th National Assembly is getting accolades for doing what the crop of Federal lawmakers led by Saraki could not do.
“Here is a man that had the opportunity to pave way for the realisation of electoral promises made by his then party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), but opted for the path of infamy for the most part of his tenure as Senate President.
“Saraki was not the first head of the Senate in the current political dispensation, but he was the first one since 1999 to embark on direct confrontation with the Executive in such a way that younger Nigerians assumed that Federal lawmakers are meant to be acerbic and confrontational.
“It was therefore not surprising to us that he suffered the biggest loss of his political career in what looked like a referendum on his performance as Senate President.
“Never in Nigeria’s political history has a major political player lost as massively in his State as Saraki did, so we expected him to have done some introspection about his tenure”.
The BMO added that compared to the 8th Senate, the current one has passed bills with far reaching positive impact on the polity.
“We ask Nigerians to note that the same National Assembly that Saraki is demonising had early in its life instituted a January to December budget cycle in line with global practices.
“It is also on record that the present crop of Federal lawmakers cooperated with the Executive to ensure the passage of one of the most difficult bills that defied previous legislative intervention for over 10 years, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)
“And now with the great work that the Legislature has been doing with the Constitution Amendment process, our advice is for the former Senate President to do some soul searching on the missed opportunities that characterized his tenure”.
BMO urged Nigerians to be wary of opposition politicians who are out to demonize the Buhari administration with all sorts of claims in a bid to score political points.
Meanwhile, the BMO has described the near-completion of the second Niger Bridge as a historical development in the annals of Nigeria’s history.
Reviewing the recent site visit of the project by the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari with some ministers, BMO posited that with the commitment of the Buhari administration towards the completion of the bridge, there is no doubt that the government has earned a reputation for delivering on landmark projects in the country.
The BMO in a statement by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, recalled that while past administrations played politics with the construction of the second Niger Bridge, and paid lip service to its execution, only the Buhari administration made concrete efforts in delivering key projects across the country.
“Apart from the second Niger Bridge, the government is also delivering the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, East-West road, railway and airport projects across the country.
“We also note that while the immediate past Jonathan administration committed only N10 Billion for the design of the project, President Buhari’s administration has expended about N400 Billion towards the completion of the second Niger Bridge. Without any iota of doubt, the project has greatly stimulated and improved the economy of the surrounding communities and States.
“Some of the multi-dimensional ways the second Niger Bridge project will affect the lives of the people include the creation of direct and indirect jobs for the people of the area, and an avalanche of small and medium scale enterprises.
“For example, the project led to the increase in food vendors and other suppliers who helped to service the project while it progressed.
“We note that on the final completion of the project, many housing estates, industries and service outfits will spring up along the ancillary road corridors, thereby enhancing the living standards of the people”.
The group also applauded the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for embarking on the turnkey project for the benefit of all Nigerians despite the shortfall in government revenues since 2015.
“President Buhari has by this singular achievement shown that he is indeed the true ‘’Mr. Project’’ in Nigeria, as he fervently believes that only delivery of infrastructural facilities will transform the economy of the country, create jobs for Nigerians and rejuvenate the economy.
“The President has also, by completing this project, put the nay-sayers to shame as many of them never gave the Buhari administration the benefit of doubt that the project will be completed within the life of this administration”, the statement added.
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