Senator-elect Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has stated that President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not expect the National Assembly to be a rubber stamp for his policies, but rather one that is robust and can contribute to knowledge.
After receiving his certificate as the senator-elect for the Edo North Senatorial District in Abuja on Tuesday, Oshiomhole, a member of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, made this statement to journalists.
He claims that Tinubu is looking forward to a Senate that will aid in the growth of the nation.
Former APC National Chairman Oshiomhole added that he would continue to represent the interests of the people in the Senate, just as he had done as a textile union activist and as president of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
He noted that the love for the common man also influenced the choice of his of his projects as governor of Edo State.
”I will not be part of the legislator for the powerful but to the countrymen,” he said.
“I will be part of the senate that legislates for the good people of our countrymen, not for the powerful, by making sure that what we do in appropriation will be such that Nigerians get value for money.
“It is expected that the executive is powerful but does not have absolute power, so it will not be subject to legislative check.
“We are not there for the allowance. There are couple of things that can be done differently so that the renewed hope of our party can be translated into reality.
“Even the president-elect will not look forward to a rubber stamp assembly but the one that can help to contribute to knowledge.
“Nobody has absolute knowledge but working together and negotiating to have a win-win formula that will contribute to the dividends of democracy,” he said.
Oshiomhole also said that the 10th Senate would work for economic growth, robust GDP that would rely on power reforms.
“The current problem we face in the power sector was because it was meant to favour friends and relatives, who knows nothing about power.
“Now we have to find the courage to deal with a system that makes citizens pay bills for power they did not consume, which for me is fraud.
“Government must protect its citizens, and customers must be protected otherwise all the energy spent to vote for a few guys enjoy does not worth my while.
“ There are couple of things we have to do differently.”
Oshiomole said that the 10th Senate would also look into the issue of petroleum products.
“We still see long queues and each time I see the queues I feel agitated because I fought against these obnoxious policies when I was the President of NLC.
“We must take a radical action to ensure that the petrol we consume is refined in Nigeria.
”I will not go to the senate to lament but make laws that would be enforced,” Oshiomhole said.
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