A top contender for the Senate presidency and Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Bukola Saraki, yesterday outlined his agenda for the eighth senate which would be inaugurated on Tuesday, June 9.

Saraki told journalists in Abuja that if elected for the position, he would ensure openness, transparency and accountability in the affairs of the Red Chamber.

According to the former governor of Kwara State, the senate under his leadership, would enact laws that would impact directly on the people as well as encourage sponsorship of bills that would help Nigeria effectively tackle insecurity posed by Boko Haram and other source of insecurity in the country.

According to Saraki: “One of the things I have observed and in looking at all our areas of responsibility, it’s largely the fact that in our engagement with many Nigerians out there, they wonder, ‘what do they do there? What happens in the National Assembly?’

“There’s no connect between the National Assembly and the Nigerian people...I hope that the eighth chamber under our leadership would begin to build a closer relationship, a better connection between the Senate and the Nigerian people.

“Some of the laws that we would pass are laws that would have direct impact on the lives of our people. Secondly, in the areas of representation, we must improve our ability to connect, and interact with the people we represent.

“There must be openness and transparency in even what we do at the Senate. In some of the things that we do, we must ensure that there’s accountability...

“Some of our responsibilities in the area of oversight, we really need to improve on that. No matter and whatever we say, some of the issues that we have seen, on things that have happened over the last few years, we cannot but take responsibility, that, there’s poor oversight...and that’s an area we must improve upon.

“We must improve on some of these things; particularly on Boko Haram, the issue of security, and we must have better oversight in those areas and as such, these are priority areas for us.

“We must also be able to make sacrifices too that  are necessary. We must have a legislative agenda that also works closely with Mr. President’s agenda.”

Saraki noted that the eighth senate would ensure capacity building of senators as well as strengthening oversight duties of lawmakers, among others.

According to him: “There are issues as revenues. We must work on issues of budget. We have to look at the budget process and make sure that the budget process can have more impact on Nigerians. We must also improve the capacity of senators because I believe that there’s need for lots of research, there’s need for capacity building and need for better information-gathering.

“There  must be interaction, also, between the legislature and civil society; and there are lots of people out there who can provide the needed technical support. I think there’s need for us to do that.

“I also think there are some bills that are priority bills in doing that, I thinks one is in the area of delivery of Justice; I think it’s a key area. All the things we talk about, whether it’s security, rule of law, anti-corruption and even on the commercial side, we need to look at that.
“We need to look at electoral reform because that would strengthen our democracy. These are bills I believe are key. We need to prioritise these bills...”

Saraki pleaded with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to allow lawmakers elect their own leaders, a move he said would ensure stability in the legislature.

Accordingly, he said: “Stability comes largely when the National Assembly is allowed to pick who they want to lead them. After June 9, you all would leave the National Assembly and move on to the cabinet (of Mr. President).

“What we want is stability and cooperation for the National Assembly to function properly in order to give support to the executive so that they can deliver on promises to the people.

“Definitely, it is in the best interest that members should be allowed to elect their leaders,” Saraki said.