President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday rated Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, very low in the area of patriotism.
He based his assessment of the two leaders of the legislative arm of government on their refusal to pass the 2018 budget seven months after it was submitted by the Executive arm of government.
The president gave his assessment while answering question on a special interview programme on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, which was also broadcast on other platforms.
The president who spoke on the uncooperative attitude of the leadership of the National Assembly in their dealing with the Executive arm said they had a wrong impression of their role in government.
The president said rather than agree that the Executive arm should determine the run of government, the legislature thought they had the power.
His words: I think it was wrong. It is the Executive which dictates the term and take it to the legislature to re-examine it, and agree or disagree with it. But when they go around that they are the government, not the executive, then, there is a problem.
“I spoke personally to the Senate President, Saraki, and the leader of the House, Dogara. They cannot deny it. I told them how did they feel to hold the country to ransom for seven months without passing a budget?
“So, really, in terms of patriotism, I rate them very very low.”
The president said however, that he could not afford to do without them since it was the dictate of the constitution.
The president also spoke on the state of insecurity in the country saying the efforts to end it should be a collective one.
According to him, the perpetrators of crimes lived in the society and were known by the people in the different communities.
As a result, he said, it would be necessary for the people to expose the criminals in their midst in order to bring about peace in the society.
He emphasised the importance of security to investment.
The president said investors would only be attracted if there was a state of security.
“What Nigerians should do is to expose the kidnappers and the thief,” he said.
He reasoned that the government would not be able to provide all the jobs needed for every Nigerian alone, but with the contribution of the private sector.
To make that happen, he stressed, there had to be a state of security.
