Senate President Bukola Saraki will tomorrow clock 100 days in office. JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH chronicles his 100 days performance in office

Well, it is interesting, challenging but I think what is rewarding about it is the support from one’s colleagues, the management and the enthusiasm. Also, similar support from Nigerians from all walks of life and the international community”.

These were the words of the Senate President Bukola Saraki on his experience as Senate president so far.President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors have been assessed by the 100 days markers in recent days.

It is used to measure the successes and accomplishments of a president during the time that their power and influence is at its greatest. The term was coined in a July 24, 1933 radio address by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

However, the 100 days performance assessment has been used to assess other public officials apart from the president. Saraki was sworn in as Senate President on June 9, an election marred in controversy and allegation of forgery till date. Never in the history of the country has any senate president assumed office with so much drama and controversy which polarised his party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC) .

It will be recalled that Saraki was not the preferred candidate of his party as his challenger Senator Ahmad Lawan was the anointed one. A mock election which saw Lawan emerge victorious was a sign of his anointing by the party’s leadership. However, Saraki went ahead and contested the senate presidency against the wishes of his party . An election that was predicted would be too close to call, turned out to be an easy ride as Saraki was elected unopposed. His challenger Ahmad Lawan and some members of the APC were by some twist of fate absent as they were at the International Conference Centre allegedly at the request of President Buhari.

For the first time in the history of the Nigerian Senate, the country has a bi-partisan senate as Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged the Deputy Senate President a move which alienated Saraki from his party. Political watchers are of the opinion that Saraki had no choice but to negotiate with the PDP in a bid to actualize his senate presidency .

The Unity Forum that were behind the aspiration of Lawan called for the cancellation of the elections on the grounds that the standing order rule book which was used for the elections of Saraki was forged. The allegation of forgery prompted an investigation by the Police.

Events in recent days had shown that the Senate have moved on from the forgery allegation as gradually Saraki has been reaching out to members of the Unity Forum with chairmanship positions of adhoc committees which may be transmuted to substantive committee when constituted.

Senator Barnabas Gemade was appointed chairman of adhoc committee on Works and may be confirmed as the substantive chairman of the committee on works going by his qualifications and experience as an engineer. In a similar vein, Musa Kwankwaso was also made the chairman adhoc committee on Aviation. Senator Babajide Omoworare was appointed chairman of Rules and Business which is one of the most important committees of the Red chamber.

With these appointments,the crisis is already being difused before it starts as Saraki has reached out to his opponents. Senator Ahmad Lawan going by his experience as chairman of the Public Accounts committee in the 7th senate may be compensated with chairmanship of either Finance or Appropriation Committees.

Political watchers are of the view that unlike the House of Representatives, sharing of committees in the senate will not cause any crisis going by the moves of the Senate President so far as all parties and interests will be compensated.

An area which the 8th Senate has recorded progress is in the area of power. The senate has constituted an adhoc committee to investigate the power sector from 1999 till date. Earlier the senate had called on the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to abolish the 700 fixed charge on electricity and bulk metering. In response to the directive, Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi announced that   the mandatory N700 fixed rate charged consumers by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has been removed and bulk metering also abolished. A move hailed by many as the resolution of the senate was adhered to, unlike the seventh Senate where resolutions were not respected by the executive and government agencies.

Also in the fight against insurgency, the senate president visited Internally Displaced Camps in Borno State in July after a resolution of the senate, a move which was applauded by many and also misinterpreted in some quarters as a prelude to his bid to become president in 2019.

When he visited Maiduguri, he told the IDPs that we have come to feel your pains, to hear what you have been going through first hand. To seek to understand the severe bloody struggle you have had to endure and go through emotionally, physically, financially and in many other ways which can hardly be put in words”.

When he led the Nigerian delegation to the United Nations Parliamentary Conference, he called on the UN to support Nigeria in its fight against insurgency and further restated his pledge that when he gets back home, the 8th Senate which he heads, will continue to work to provide a legislative framework that will help to rebuild, rehabilitate and reconstruct the violence-ravaged part of the country.

In his keynote address conference urged the International Community to partner with Nigeria to defeat Boko Haram insurgency in the North-eastern part of the country.

He noted in a statement issued by his media office that the menace of insurgency and all forms of brutality being visited on innocent citizens by terrorists across the world require international collaboration to curtail as they pose great threat to global peace and democracy.

Like most other countries, according to the Senate President, terrorism has become a clog in Nigeria’s path to sustainable development.

He stated that terrorism can no longer be treated like a local problem and that it was time the world joined Nigeria to decisively defeat Boko Haram while urgently rebuilding the North-east.

Saraki said: “The time to act is now. For us in Nigeria, with the new leadership at the executive and legislature, we are reacting already. You have a reliable partner to work with.

“Boko Haram represents the greatest terrorist threat we face. The insurgency’s senseless terror has brought untold destruction and hardship on our people in the North East of the country. I therefore call on the international community to partner with Nigeria to defeat Boko Haram.

“Thankfully, our military has in recent times, significantly degraded the morale and capacity of the insurgents to launch attacks in the area, a feat that has since seen many settlements liberated, roads reopened and hope restored. I call on the global community to join hands with Nigeria to rebuild the overwhelming destruction of the North East,” he stated.

On his days in office as Senate president, he said said that his experience since assumption of office three months ago has been both interesting and challenging during his familiarization tour of the National Assembly.

He however said that the rewarding aspect of the job is the overwhelming support he has received from his colleagues, the management and staff of the National Assembly, Nigerians in general and the international community.

On his experience so far since assuming office on June 9, the Senate President said: “Well, it is interesting, challenging but I think what is rewarding about it is the support from one’s colleagues, the management and the enthusiasm that you see going round with some of the staff of the National Assembly. Also, similar support from Nigerians from all walks of life and the international community”

He said the familiarization tour was meant to allow him and the principal officers of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly have on-the-spot assessment of the environment so as to make for good understanding of issues and challenges being faced by both staff and management of the National Assembly.

Saraki said: “The Assembly complex represents the image of the National Assembly, So, it is important for us to see what the issues are and have an understanding of the environment. Unless you go round and have a first hand understanding, sometimes, it is difficult for you to understand what are the issues and challenges for all the staff, their conditions, productivity and all that. By the time I go round, I will have a better understanding and I will know what the issues are and we will be able to tackle them one by one.”

On his impression of the situation in the complex after the tour, Saraki said: “By and large I think for an institution like this and over the many years of its existence as well as the number of staff, I think the maintenance is generally acceptable.”

He however urged the management to improve on what is on ground so as to protect and project a better image of the legislative institution.

The Senate President added: “I think, of course, there is still area of improvement here and there, considering the number of people here, people that are coming in and out. I think there are some areas that again, particularly key areas of ICT and Research.”

He stated that the upper chamber is committed to fulfilling its promises to Nigerians by connecting with the people.

Saraki said: “There is a general desire to make the country proud with what we are doing here and I think we all have to keep to the promises we have made to all Nigerians that we will do our best to connect with Nigerians and let Nigerians appreciate that we are here to serve and to work for the good of this country.”