By: Felix Ikpotor
Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has again committed his political future to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Abe who spoke at the valedictory session of the Senate on Thursday, said he remained committed to the ideals of the party and genuine change in the country.
This is coming barely a few days after some of his supporters in the state defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The lawmaker who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the 8th Senate said he is committed to a better Nigeria that works.
His words: “I came to the Senate, first, as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party; I left the PDP along with other Senators to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the quest for a better Nigeria”.
“It was our hope, our determination and our expectation that we would form a political party that would place the people above everything else”.
“Today, several years later, I still remain committed to that ideal that Nigeria cannot be a true democracy unless we have truly democratic political parties, and it is for that reason that I have remained in the All Progressives Congress and I will continue to fight for the change we believed in that brought us here”.
“I want to thank all those who shared that vision of a Nigeria that works for everybody regardless of your political party”.
He added: “We may not all be in the same political party, but we are all committed to the idea that we can have a country that works for everyone of us”.
“To those that have disagreed with me in the quest of that country of our dream, I say don’t be offended by whatever I have done. To those that offended me also, I say well, that is the way of life. I also take it in good faith. Our hope still remains that Nigeria will one day be a country that we all desire”.
“I want to thank my colleagues for all the support, love and friendship that you have shown to me here”.
“Like we have all noted, some of us may not see ourselves after today, but I know that wherever we meet, and however we come to see each other, we will always know that there was a time when we shared together the ability and hope to make our country better and we did our best”.
“To you Mr Senate President, I want to say that while we may not have agreed on everything, while we may have parted ways politically, you remain my friend, and I will always be happy to call you my friend anywhere, any day, any time”.
Abe urged his colleagues to continue to be patriotic wherever they maybe.
“I also want to say sir, that while we leave this place, let us not forget that it was the desire to serve our country that brought us here. We may not have been perfect, and we may not have done everything as perfectly as others would have hoped, but the important thing is that we have preserved this institution and others too, will have an opportunity to come here and contribute their bit”.
“”Wherever we are, wherever we find ourselves after now, let us remember that as people who have served in this chamber, we continue to carry the integrity of the Senate with us, we continue to carry the aspirations of our people with us; and wherever we find ourselves, we should make every effort to continue to represent the highest standards of patriotism, integrity and commitment to Nigeria”.
Meanwhile, the 8th Senate rounded off its legislative activities with the no fewer than 60 Senators who attended the valedictory session giving an account of their stewardship in the last four years.
Senators who spoke were returnees including Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan; Ibn N’Allah, Deputy Senate Leader Senator Adeola Solomon, Senator Dino Melaye and some non-returning senators, including the Senate President Bukola Saraki.
In the 8th Senate, 66 are going, while 43 are new ones.
The session which was presided over by Senate President Bukola Saraki lasted for over 6 hours, as both returning and non-returning Senators hailed the remarkable achievements that were recorded by the 8th Assembly.
According to the presentations, the Senate passed over 300 bills, out of which 45 bills were rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari during the period under review.
Some of the non-returning Senators who spoke were Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue), Olusola Adeyemi (Osun Central), Shehu Sani (PRP-Kaduna), Magnus Abe (APC-Rivers), Ben Bruce (PDP-Bayelsa), George Akume (APC-Benue), Samuel Anyanwu (PDP-IMO), among others.
The Senators separately urged the incoming Senators to strive towards deepening democratic principles, as well as have a cordial relationship with the Executive and put national interests above personal ones.
In his speech, Senator Lawan, who also enumerated the achievements of the 8th Senate, however, noted that: “One thing we didn’t get right was our inability to reduce the number of out-of-school children which is14.6 million.”
Lawan who expressed optimism that the 9th Senate can achieve better feats through effective discharge of its Constitutional functions underscored the need for a cordial working relationship with the Executive arm of government.
In his contribution, former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South said: “My greatest concern is the independence of this institution, which is not to say that we should not work in harmony with the other arms of government; but it is incumbent on us not to compromise independence of the legislature which I see as the most dangerous thing coming our way in the next Senate. The only difference between the rules of the military or any form of tyrannical rule is this institution or legislative arm of government. We need to support other arms of government but must avoid doing so by acquiescing or compromising the principle governing independence of the legislative arm of government.’’
