• Crisis in NASS not good for Nigeria, Okorocha says
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resolved to wade into the crisis rocking the National Assembly in what appears a move to save the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki as well as bring about stability in the polity.
The decision was reached after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting, which started at about 2 pm, also had the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in attendance.
While Senate President Saraki is facing criminal charges of forgery and false declaration of assets, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and some other leaders of the House are currently enmeshed in allegations of corruptly padding the 2016 budget to corner billions of naira in the guise of constituency projects.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, said the nation needs a strong and vibrant National Assembly this time to move faster in terms of development.
Okorocha, who led the APC governors to meet with Buhari said they also used the opportunity to reassure the president that the APC governors were solidly behind him in his fight against corruption, insurgents and all his laudable projects.
He said: “We are concerned about the incessant happenings in the National Assembly and we have taken it upon ourselves to look into the crises at the National Assembly.
“We are going to look into the matters because we need a strong, vibrant national assembly to make things move fast in the country”.
The Imo governor also said the economy of the states have improved, saying their allocation is now close to what they used to get when oil was above $100 per barrel.
“There is a lot of improvement; you will recall that once upon a time, oil was selling above $100. What the states are getting now is close to what they use to get when oil price was above $100 per barrel. This means government is doing a lot. We are not yet there, but, we will get there. We appeal to Nigerians to be patient with this government because it means well for the welfare of our people.”
On criticism that the planned trip by some governors to Germany is for a jamboree, he replied: “There is nothing like jamboree trip; we are going to Germany because we cannot do everything here without exchanging ideas. In everything you do in your home or business, you share ideas. So, we want to see how they did what they did to succeed. It is the aspiration of Nigeria to be like other countries in the world”.
Asked who will be responsible for funding the trip, he replied, “So, who will fund it, you?