[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen you ask them why they want to #OccupyNASS (Occupy the National Assembly) they will say because of Bukola Saraki.
What has Saraki done? Simple, he has refused to be a puppet of Buhari’s Kitchen Cabals.
Ask how many economic bills has President Muhammadu Buhari sent to National Assembly and they have refused to pass? None.
In contrast, the Senate responded swiftly to the economic recession by passing 7 urgent economic bills without the knowledge of the Buhari presidency.
All of the bills were pending since the last assembly and one is the reason the coastal and Lagos-Ibadan railway projects restarted reconstruction.
Ask how many anti-corruption bills the Buhari presidency has sent to the National Assembly? Only, one and that is the whistleblower bill and it is going through the process.
Ask how many public accountability bills have been sent to the National Assembly by President Buhari to date? None!
How many education or health reform bills have been sent to the National Assembly by the Buhari presidency? None.
How many judicial reform bills have been sent to the National Assembly by Buhari to date? None.
How many economic diversification bills including oil and gas sector reforms have been sent by the executive to the National Assembly since Buhari came into power in May 2015? None.
How is it that Senate President Saraki who has lead to the initiation of 13 economic reforms and business environment bills is the one against “change”?
How is it that despite the distractions he has not one day offered excuses but continues to push on with legislative reforms the enemy of change?
How is that though the president has continued to violate the laws of Nigeria and the constitution by unilaterally dismissing all public boards for 2 years without naming replacement; and Nigeria is without ambassadors in all countries for 2 years?
Is Senator Saraki corrupt? Ask the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which has been taking him to court since 2012.
Because former President Goodluck Jonathan refused to assent to the PDP’s request that the EFCC withdraws its prosecution of Saraki and other PDP top shots, they staged a walkout and joined APC with the aim of “teaching Jonathan a lesson” by removing him from Aso Rock.
So it’s not today EFCC started prosecuting Dr. Saraki.
Is it Saraki who rejected Ibrahim Magu as the EFCC chairperson? No! DSS, the country’s secret police, a body under the Presidency defied the orders of President Buhari, reportedly, and said Magu isn’t fit to handle the office.
Did the Senate summon comptroller-general of the Nigerian Customs Service, Colonel Hameed Ali (Rtd) because of SUV imported for Saraki? No!
The said vehicle was imported to Nigeria in 2014 by private individuals, cleared by them and used by them. Saraki was still in the PDP and was just a senator when this happened.
The vehicle was sold to the National Assembly in March 2015, he wasn’t the Senate President at the time. It was seized in January, 2017.
Is it Saraki who crashed the naira to N500? No.
Is he the reason inflation is 18%? No.
Is he the reason the Economic world says Nigeria has no Economic Blueprint? No.
Is he the reason people are owed salaries? No.
Is he the reason people are losing their jobs? No.
Is he the reason people are committing suicides? No.
So what Bukola Saraki’s sin? He refused to be a puppet, notwithstanding the blackmail and corruption cases cooked up because he chose not to be a lackey.
God save Nigeria from mediocrity and backwardness.
Ohazuruike Tochukwu is a social media commentator.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
