By Umar Salam.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has lauded the 9th Senate for the speedy clearance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees, describing it as progressive, dynamic and patriotic.
The Islamic human rights organization, led by its Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, chided the leadership of the 8th Senate under Dr. Bukola Saraki, for being a monumental disaster.
Prof. Akintola, in a statement yesterday, also stated that the Ninth Assembly was a clear departure from the circus Nigerians mistook for a Senate in the last four years.
“The speedy clearance of nominees, the early completion of the exercise and the confirmation of all the 43 candidates is an indication of better things to come. This 9th Senate means business.
“It is people-friendly and truly Nigerian. Above all, it is progressive, dynamic and patriotic. This is a clear departure from the circus which Nigerians mistook for a Senate in the last four years.
“The 8th Senate was a monumental disaster. Hypnotised senators abandoned critical national issues to troop after their president who was facing charges at the tribunal. Nominees were scape-goated and rejected out of spite”, he said.
The MURIC director, added that the “graft-loving” Saraki-led 8th Senate frustrated President Buhari’s corruption war by rejecting the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He said, “It was clear from the first day that the 8th Senate was here to frustrate the war against corruption. The graft-loving 8th senate refused to confirm Ibrahim Magu, the head of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency. Nigeria’s budget was delayed for seven months!
“The 8th Senate was an unmitigated failure, a senate of comic characters and pathological liars, a senate of professional sleepers-on-duty, a senate of budget-padding experts whose members were only good at harassing women and spending 19 hours on tree tops.”
Akintola praised the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan for his maturity and cool-headedness, urging him to maintain a healthy relationship with the executive for a better and greater Nigeria.
“In conclusion, we congratulate the new Senate president, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, for bringing light to replace darkness. We commend him for his cool-headedness, maturity and statesmanship.
“We urge him to remain focused and to continue cooperating with the executive for a better and greater Nigeria. We appeal to members of the 9th Senate to think more of Nigeria in their deliberations”, the MURIC director emphasized.