Balarabe Musa, Odumakin hail NASS’ summon

It’s total waste of time, says Rewane

From Ndubuisi Orji,  Abuja and Adewale Sanyaolu

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured Nigerians that “President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will take Nigeria across the Red Sea into the promised land.”
Osinbajo made the promise at Nigeria’s 56th Independence anniversary interdenominational church service which held at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
He said God promised to build a new Nigeria where there would be peace from North-East to the Niger Delta; a Nigeria where there would be jobs for the unemployed, and added, “we are on our way out of the wilderness”.
The vice president, who read from the Bible, described Nigeria as ‘the light of the world and salt of the earth’ and appealed to Nigerians not to be dismayed by the present economic situation.
“We should not be like children of Israel who were taken out of Egypt and, after few problems, became grumblers-in-chief. “Our message is that Nigerians should be strong and of good encourage, and not be dismayed. Every Nigerian will benefit from the new Nigeria. God saw our nation and decided to put this leadership in place, and it will take us across the Red Sea to the new Nigeria.”
At the weekend, federal lawmakers reportedly agreed, at  an informal meeting in the private residence of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to summon Buhari to address a joint session on the economic recession.
Second Republic  governor of old Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa hailed the decision.
Musa told Daily Sun, yesterday, that the purported National Assembly’s decision is normal and within its constitutional powers.  He said it is imperative for Buhari to address the lawmakers on the state of the economy, especially as the president is seeking emergency powers to revamp the economy.
“It is normal and constitutional and there is good reason for the National Assembly to invite the president. The National Assembly needs to know  what the president is doing about the economy.  The president should listen to them, especially, as he is seeking emergency powers,” Musa said.
On his part, National Publicity Secretary, Pan Yoruba group,  Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin also hailed the National Assembly’s decision to invite Buhari to address it on the economy.
Odumakin said although the president’s economic team has repeatedly said it had mapped out measures to get the country out of recession, there has not been any concrete plan to revamp the economy.
He said if anything,  comments by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma that government planned to sell some national assets was frightening.
“We have not seen any plan yet.  What we are hearing are mere declarations.
“So, what the National Assembly is doing is within their power  to summon the executive.  And, as representatives of the people, it is good that the president explains to the people, through them.
“What the budget minister said is frightening.  That they are going to sell our assets to fund the budget?  If they sell the assets this year, what are they going to sell next year?,”  Odumakin asked.
But, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Financial Derivatives Limited, Mr. Bismark Rewane described the move as a total waste of time.
He said rather than invite the president;   if federal lawmakers had any proposal on how best the country could come out of recession, such should be submitted to the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Planning or that of Trade and Investment for consideration
The financial expert maintained that the move by the National Assembly to invite the president was akin to grandstanding. Although he admitted it was within the rights of the legislators to ask anybody to come and explain in a bid to fulfill all righteousness,   Rewane said: “What objective will the invitation achieve? Nothing. For me, it is a total waste of time and unnecessary.
That energy and resources that the president will use in providing explanations to them should, rather, be used in implementing polices before him.”