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Budget 2019: Booing Buhari was political imbecility –MURIC

David Adenekan
David Adenekan
MURIC thanks Buhari for extending pardon to 54 soldiers
Ishaq Akintola

A non-governmental organisation, Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has condemned the booing of President Muhammadu Buhari by lawmakers during the 2019 budget presentation on Wednesday.

It described the actions of the lawmakers as political imbecility.

In a statement by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the organisation said booing by the lawmakers was infantile, pedestrian and ludicrous.

His words:  “Our lawmakers manifested articulated immaturity and exhibited pronounced desertification of parliamentary decorum. They desecrated the hallowed chamber. It was such a shame of a National Assembly (NASS). They descended to the lowest abyss of disgraceful conduct. It is now very clear that the 8th NASS is suffering from acute poverty of patriotism, a yawning lacunae for dignity and an irredeemable deficiency in righteousness.

“To boo and jeer during the presentation of an annual budget shows that our legislators are not interested in how Nigeria makes progress. This was an occasion when lawmakers are expected to show seriousness as the fate of the nation and its people for the next year was being reeled out. In saner climes, the elected representatives of the people manifest concern as the budget of their country is read. They eschew politicking and listen with rapt attention. But not Nigerian lawmakers of the 8th NASS. These are the same lawmakers who delayed 2018 budget for seven months and refused to have anything to do with it until they had sliced off the juicest portions unto themselves.

“MURIC is not depriving the lawmakers of their right to disagree with the executive. But no lawmaker worth the salt anywhere in the world will carry political disagreement to issues pertaining to the welfare of the citizens. The budget of a country reflects the fate of the people and their welfare at least for that year and sometimes impacts on their future. For choosing to make caricatures of themselves on that august occasion, our lawmakers have proved that they are not worth the trust reposed in them.”

The organisation praised President Buhari for remaining calm and composed through the presentation despite the booing.

He stated further:  “MURIC salutes President Muhammadu Buhari for remaining calm and composed throughout the day. Mr. President stood ramrod as they booed and jeered. His comportment unsettled his adversaries. He made the nation proud by refusing to lose his temper. But the icing on the cake was his fatherly admonition to the rascally lawmakers as he scolded them, ‘Let us conduct ourselves properly. The world is watching us. We are supposed to be above this’. That was Mr. Integrity incarnate speaking, the pride of our great nation.

“Those golden words will remain on the marble as long as Nigeria continues to exist. They are monumental, philosophical and didactic. Generations to come will read them and they will ponder, ‘What a great leader that was’. But what will they think about the rowdy lawmakers? ‘Verily, verily, we say unto the 8th NASS, you were a huge disappointment!’”

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