Lawan: Buhari never asked n’assembly for anything that wasn’t in national interest

Senate President Ahmad Lawan says President Muhammadu Buhari has never asked the national assembly to do anything that is not in national interest.

Lawan spoke on Monday at a state banquet held in honour of Buhari in Yobe. The president is on a two-day official visit to the state.

Many have described the huge loans approved by the national assembly at the request of Buhari as a disservice to the country.

The ninth assembly has also been criticised by the opposition for being an extension of the presidency.

Commenting on the criticism, the senate president said Buhari has left the national assembly to always do what is best for the country.

“In all my years in the national assembly, I have never worked with any president who never asked that he wanted things done a certain way but I want to admit here that Mr president, you have never asked me to do anything,” he said.

“You believe we should do what is best for our country. When I said that we will continue to work with the executive arm of government, ensuring that the national interest is always our guide and focus, our opposition took me out of context.

“Some of them started writing that we are rubber stamps, that whatever is brought to the national assembly will be approved.

“I want to say here, that President Muhammadu Buhari never asked anything that is not in the national interest.”

Lawan said so much has been achieved by working with the president.

“We have passed the most difficult bills, we have passed the most complicated legislations. This is because you gave us all the support that we needed to do our work in the national assembly,” he said.

The senate president said Buhari should consider the establishment of a Gum Arabic Research Institute in Yobe and deploy resources to develop the livestock industry before he leaves office.

“The livestock industry in Nigeria especially between Borno, Sokoto and of course Yobe is an economy that is worth N33 trillion,” he said.

“Incidentally, the most poor states are in this zone. Where you have a potential of N33 trillion economy, we have no reason to be poor.”