By David Olalekan.
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has chided the ‘intellectual backwardness’ of his colleagues in the eighth Senate.
Senator Bruce berated his colleagues for not reading enough to keep abreast of happenings in the world.
The Bayelsa senator who isn’t returning to the senate, wondered why lawmakers weren’t making attempts to update their knowledge, considering their rejection of his bills.
Recall that Mr Bruce had presented bills on granting entry to foreigners of Nigerian descent without a visa, and most recently, phasing out petrol vehicles. However, both bills were rejected by the Senate.
Speaking at the valedictory session of the Senate yesterday, he found his moment to reprimand his colleagues who he claimed were making laws for the past instead of the future.
He said: “Lawmakers make laws about the future and not the past. This is important for the Ninth Senate (to learn from). When you are a senator, you have to read and understand what happens in the world. Knowledge changes every six months. Whatever knowledge you have today, in six months’ time it becomes irrelevant.
“Some of the Bills I presented and were rejected made me think that some of us do not read. In the Ninth Senate it is important that you are up to date (with) modern technology and the realities of the world, because if you are not, you do not make laws about yesterday but the future.
“I hope the next Senate will talk about (debate) green energy, electric cars, diaspora voting, laws that will help the economy, help the Executive.”
He asked the Executive to steer clear of influencing the leadership of the ninth Senate.
“I want the Executive to know that the leadership of the Ninth Senate should be chosen by 109 members of the Senate and not the Executive,” he said.