Mantu Tasks NASS On Lawmaking

Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibahim Mantu, has advised the Nigerian Senate to direct its lawmaking machinery towards laws that would improve the lives of  the citizenry. According to him, Nigerians are yearning for good governance, good welfare, peace and security.

Speaking in an interview with The Tide at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Senator Mantu said the current National Assembly was properly positioned on a solid foundation to reshape the country to join the rest of civilised nations.

The former deputy Senate president who scored the present Senate high in its performance so far said “unlike in 1999 when we had nothing to fall back on, the Senate now has a foundation that can enable members direct the lawmaking system towards providing succour for the citizenry”.

“As far as am concerned, the National Assembly is doing well. The foundation has been laid for the current National Assembly to make people-oriented laws,” Mantu stressed.

He enjoined Nigerian politicians to shun getting into power by hook and crook, avoid hooliganism as rigging during the forthcoming general elections, saying, they should see public service as a way of serving the people and not to amass wealth.

“Above all, the issue of getting power through hook and crook should be a thing of the past so that we can achieve credible elections”, he said, pointing out that it was the duty of government to guarantee the security and well-being of the people.

Senator Mantu blamed the continued crisis and killing in the North particularly in Jos, Plateau State, on lack of good governance, and called on the government to rise up to the security challenges in that state.

According to him, the crisis in the North was politically motivated, so it would take a strong leader to  contain the situation. He said government was a bit relaxed in terms of security of lives and properties in the state.

The former lawmaker expressed the belief that President Gooduck Jonathan would emerge victorious at the presidential poll in April. “Certainly, there is no competition between Jonathan and any other person, Goodluck is the man to beat. As far as  we are concerned, there’s nothing stopping him from winning the elections”, he said.

Shedie Opara