President Muhammadu Buhari has told ministers and all heads of departments and agencies that he will not tolerate them disrespecting the National Assembly.
Speaking on Thursday evening shortly after a meeting with Senate president, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila at the state house, Aso Villa, Buhari via a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu told the ministers and heads of agencies to at all times conduct themselves in ways that will not undermine the National Assembly as an institution or its members.
The president pointed out that he has the utmost respect for the National Assembly, addding that the executive and legislative arms of government are essential partners in the fulfillment of their mutually aligned goal of improving the lives of the Nigerian people.
The National Assembly had earlier expressed reservations over recent conducts of some government officials in the executive arm.
The Senate president, Senator Ahmad Lawan, expressed the reservation while speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting with Buhari.
Senator Lawan, who was accompanied by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, noted that the current National Assembly has had a cordial relationship with the executive arm, citing the atmosphere provided by the president as the reason.
He also noted that the cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms had been particularly forged so that the current government could better deliver quality leadership to Nigerians.
Meanwhile, President Buhari has called for better coordination among security and investigating agencies with the National Assembly to bring about sanity in the system.
Speaking amid the confusion that has dogged the activities of government agencies recently, the president urged the concerned stakeholders to ensure that the administration’s effort to bring transparency and accountability to the management of the large number of resources dedicated to the development of the Niger Delta sub-region is not derailed.
