Buhari to Saraki, Dogara, others: our relationship not the best

The relationship between the Executive and legislative arms of government in the outgoing dispensation has been everything but cordial, President Muhammadu Buhari said last night.

President Buhari who reviewed the rapport between the two arms concluded that the relationship “wasn’t the best”.

He spoke at Iftar dinner (breaking of fast) with the National Assembly leadership led by Senate President Bukola Saraki at the State House.

The President said the nation deserved better than it got in the outgoing dispensation, expressing hope for a better working relationship between the two arms of government with the 9th National Assembly.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President was quoted as saying: “Relations between the Executive and the Legislature were not the best in the 8th National Assembly. I sincerely hope each one of us will do his utmost to ensure there is a better working relationship between these two arms of government in the 9th Assembly so that we can serve the people better.

“The principal task of the National Assembly is to cooperate with the Executive so that together, we can fashion policies that will lift our people out of poverty and out of illiteracy. I appeal to the Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members to subordinate all personal interests and ambitions to the imperative of working for the common good of our people.”

The President congratulated the members-elect on their success in winning their constituency seats and opined that “this is a great burden and a great responsibility placed on you by your people. Our citizens are faced with challenges of poverty”.

He assured the leaders that his doors would remain open “to all of you who have genuine concerns or advice to improve the quality of governance and service delivery to our people.”

Senator Saraki assured the President that the National Assembly will maintain focus on national interest at all times.

With the Senate were House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadsu; Deputy Speaker Lasun Yussuff; Senate Majority Leader Ahmed Lawan; House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila; Senate Minority Leader Abiodun Olujimi and House Minority Leader Leo Ogor; as well as Majority and Minority Whips of both chambers.