Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele on Friday, called on the Federal Government to deter biased treatment, arbitrary executive actions, excessive control, and targeting of perceived adversaries in the anti-corruption campaign.
Additionally, he urged the National Assembly to develop proactive strategies to combat corrupt activities.
According to him,
“The federal government needs to discourage selective treatment, executive lawlessness, high-handedness, and political persecution of perceived enemies in the fight against corruption.”
During a two-day retreat for Nigerian senators in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, with the theme “Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms in Nigeria,” Senate leader Opeyemi Bamidele emphasized the need for innovative legislative structures and effective oversight to ensure the stability and strength of the naira.
He also proposed regular dialogues between federal legislators and members of the Federal Executive Council to align President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eight-point agenda with the 10th National Assembly’s programs.
The retreat, organized by the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, aimed to enhance senators’ capabilities in creating legislation that fosters lasting peace, sustainable development, and harmonious coexistence among Nigerians.
Notable attendees included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr. Wale Edun, and other members of the Federal Executive Council.
In light of the naira’s decline, Bamidele stressed the necessity of implementing responsive fiscal and monetary policies through appropriate legislative structures and oversight to steer the economy away from regression.
He explained that both chambers of the National Assembly “are under obligations to stem the recurring decimal of naira devaluation and promote economic stability. This entails appropriate legislative framework and oversight support for the implementation of responsive fiscal and monetary policy measures.
“Henceforth, developing appropriate legislative frameworks is central to ensuring macroeconomic stability with a focus on managing inflation, addressing high-interest rates as well as foreign exchange deficit,” the senate Leader observed in his paper presentation.
Bamidele emphasized various solutions to the current socio-economic challenges faced by the nation, suggesting immediate revisions to the Land Use Act of 1979 to rectify the existing land tenure system and provide Nigerians with greater access to fertile farmland across the country.
He noted that enhancing access to fertile farmland would significantly amplify agricultural output and ensure nationwide food security, particularly for rural communities where the majority of the population are engaged in farming.
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Emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the Small Towns and Village Recovery and Development Bill, he underlined the necessity of restoring economic equity to rural communities within the framework of national revenue allocation and the development of rural infrastructure.
Furthermore, he highlighted that this initiative would effectively curb the increasing rate of migration from rural to urban areas, along with its associated challenges, such as urban overpopulation, increased urban crime, environmental degradation, and the substantial disparity between available resources and the demands within cities.
He further explained that the successful execution of the poverty alleviation program would be crucial in addressing these challenges “is fundamental to promoting peace, harmony and sustainable democracy in Nigeria where over 70 per cent of the nation’s population is reportedly living below the poverty line.
“To reduce the increasing inequality between the poor and rich, we urgently need to strengthen the National Directorate of Employment by amendment of relevant legislations that will create limitless opportunities for our teeming jobless populations.
“We are also under obligations not just to overhaul our National Poverty Eradication Programme and National Economic Reform Plan, but also back them up with adequate funding to provide social safety nets for the poor and the vulnerable across the federation.”
Highlighting the concerning prevalence of corruption within the public sphere, Bamidele cautioned that the nation should brace itself for potential mass demonstrations by the marginalized populace.
Additionally, during the retreat, Bamidele advocated for a collaborative session between the executive and legislature to establish strategies for harmonizing Tinubu’s eight-point agenda with the initiatives of the National Assembly.
He clarified that the proposed joint retreat would facilitate a platform for all chairs of standing committees in the Senate and House Committees to engage with ministers and their permanent secretaries, fostering coordination in the implementation of the Tinubu administration’s eight-point agenda.