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Valedictory Speech by Sen. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, PhD, GCON President of the Senate, at the Valedictory Session of the 9th Senate, Saturday, 10th June, 2023, National Assembly, Nigeria
[Protocols]
Esteemed colleagues and distinguished guests,
Today, I address you with mixed emotions. On the one hand, there is
a sense of accomplishment for all that we have achieved together and
gratitude to God Almighty for the privilege of serving the people of
Nigeria and being a part of this revered legislative body, the Senate of
the Federal Republic.
sadness and nostalgia as I bid farewell to this cherished role and many
of my colleagues.
We started this journey on 11th June, 2019 with 109 Senators, but over
the course of four years, we lost an unprecedented number of 4
members; Sen.
Adebayo Osinowo (representing Lagos East), Sen. Rose Oko
(representing Cross River North), Sen. Benjamin Uwajumogwu
(representing Imo North). Despite their not being here today to
celebrate our successes, we most fondly remember them and pray that
God will grant them eternal rest. May we please stand and observe a
minute’s silence in their memory and honour [pause]. May their souls
and the souls of all the departed rest in peace.
While remembering our colleagues that passed on, we also remember
those that have answered the call to serve Nigeria in different
capacities, especially Sen. Kashim Shettima Mustapha, GCON
(representing Borno Central), now Vice President, Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Sen. Uba Sani (representing Kaduna Central) and now
Governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Hassan Nasiha (representing
Zamfara Central), now Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Sen. Akon
Eyakenyi (representing Akwa Ibom South), now Deputy Governor of
Akwa Ibom State, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu (representing Nasarawa
West), now the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) and Sen. Abubakar Kyari (representing Borno North), now
APC Deputy National Chairman (North). They were all vibrant
Members of this Chamber who contributed to the success of the 9th
Senate and are now contributing to Nigeria’s political development
and stability.
Distinguished Colleagues, the 9th National Assembly was inaugurated
four years ago at a time of heightened political tensions and threats to
security, especially by Boko Haram, which perpetrated acts of
abductions, suicide bombings of civilian targets and government
infrastructure in the northeast. This situation was further worsened by
decades of communal conflict between nomadic herders and farmers
in the north-central, militancy in the south-south and agitations for
devolution of powers and secession in the south-east and south-west.
The economic outlook was equally grim, with predictions of slow Real
GDP growth, depressed oil demand and its impact on Nigeria’s
earnings and prospects for economic growth, huge infrastructure
deficit, leakages and revenue losses, uncertainties among investors,
growing youth population and rising unemployment as well as high
inflation rates among others. To further complicate things, we also
inherited a legacy of antagonistic and sometimes hostile legislativeexecutive relations characterised by mutual distrust and suspicions.
Some consequences of that strained relationship included delays in the
passage of the budget, weak oversight by committees and noncompliance to legislative summons, among others.
In response to these challenges, we adopted the slogan, “a Senate that
works for Nigerians”, and a legislative agenda that defined our
legislative priorities in the short, medium and long terms and specific
actions towards meeting our overall objective of providing good
representation for Nigerians. Our approach was evidence-based and
drew from the study on citizens’ expectations of the 9th National
Assembly. The broad philosophical outlook of the Agenda emphasised
a holistic approach to economic, socio-political and governance
reforms rather than piecemeal or haphazard interventions. Our vision
from the start, therefore, was to lay a foundation for reforming the
various aspects of our national life through purposeful lawmaking and
oversight.
In crafting laws, we emphasised legislations that address some of the
fundamental issues that have impeded development and undermined
social cohesion. As a body, we conducted ourselves ethically, as
required of government officials and placed national interests above
any personal or sectional considerations. As a result, the period
between 2019 to 2023 has produced the most consequential legislative
outputs of any Assembly since the return to democratic governance in
1999.
Distinguished colleagues permit me to reflect on some of our most
significant accomplishments over the last four years. In lawmaking,
the 9th Senate introduced and successfully passed critical legislations
that could reform and promote the economy, improve transparency in
government processes and enhance public confidence in the electoral
process. As of June 10th 2023, over 1,129 Bills were presented on the
floor of the Senate, and over 500 were successfully passed. The
President assented to 131 Bills,, the highest of any Assembly in
Nigeria’s history. In the last few days, President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, GCFR, has assented to two Bills passed by the 9th National
Assembly, namely the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999 (Fifth Alteration) (No.37) Bill, 2023”, which extends the
retirement age of high court judges, and others, from 65 to 70 years.
This was the first Bill to be signed by the President since taking the
oath of office. Only yesterday, 9th June, 2023, he also assented to the
Electricity Act 2023, which we had passed in July 2022. The new law
replaces the Electricity and Power Sector Reform Act of 2005.
Distinguished colleagues, beyond the impressive numbers, however,
these laws cut across the eleven priority areas of our Legislative
Agenda. They lay the foundation for multi-sectoral reforms and
revitalisation of the Nigerian state. For example, for the first time in
decades, we enacted the Petroleum Industry Act to overhaul the oil and
gas sector to better respond to the changing environment and foster
stronger sector growth. We passed numerous legislations to stimulate
the Nigerian economy and improve the ease of doing business. These
include the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020, Finance
Act 2020, Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, Deep Offshore and
Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract (Amendment) Act 2019,
and many others. To enhance accountability and promote good
governance, we also enacted the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and
Management) Act 2022, Money Laundering (Prevention and
Prohibition) Act 2022, and Police Act 2020, among others. Critically
too, we successfully enacted the Electoral Act 2022, which reformed
our electoral process to enhance transparency and inspire greater voter
confidence. The National Social Investment Programme Agency Act
2023 institutionalises and provides a legal framework for government
programmes targeting the poor and vulnerable.
We passed 16 Constitutional Alteration Bills targeted at, among other
things, providing for the Financial Independence of State Houses of
Assembly and State Judiciary; decongesting the Exclusive Legislative
List by moving railway to the Concurrent Legislative List; authorising
States to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered
by the national grid; and making it mandatory for the President and
Governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or
Commissioners within 60 days of taking the Oath of Office for
confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.
The 9th Assembly strengthened the budget process to reduce delays
experienced in previous Assemblies and ensure speedy consideration
and passage of the Appropriation law. In the past, delays in the budget
process led to poor budget implementation, especially the capital
component. Working with the Executive, we returned Nigeria to the
January-December budget cycle for the first time in 12 years.
Additionally, measures were taken to ensure that the Appropriation
Bill was prepared in line with the financial principles contained in the
Finance Act. In 2023, we amended 11 legislations to reflect the
provisions of the Finance Act.
You will agree with me that the legislations we have passed are
critical and could potentially address the multitude of economic and
social challenges facing Nigerians, improve social services (health
and education), stimulate job creation, reduce poverty and ensure
the security of lives and properties. As Members of the 9th Senate,
we should be proud of our outputs and the fact that we broke
several legislative jinxes by enacting laws that had stalled in the
National Assembly since 1999.
The 9th Senate recognised from the onset that security is a fundamental
requirement for ensuring stability and development. In my inaugural
speech at the inception of this Assembly, I pledged to work closely
with my colleagues in both the Senate and the House of
Representatives and with the other arms of government to improve the
security situation in the country. In the last four years, we have
achieved a lot in this regard. We set up an ad hoc committee to engage
with security agencies and produce a white paper on restructuring,
reviewing and re-organising the security architecture. To curb the
proliferation of illegal arms and weapons, we passed the Bill for the
Establishment of a National Commission for Coordination and Control
of Small Arms and Light Weapons. We passed other security-related
laws, including the Police Act 2020, which introduced radical changes
in the operations of the Nigerian Police force and how they relate to
the citizenry, with a particular focus on effective policing,
accountability and transparency, and protection of human rights and
freedom. Working with partners, we also engaged in harmonising the
legislative and institutional frameworks regulating all security
agencies to reduce overlap and enhance greater collaboration. Only a
few weeks ago, I commissioned the Legislative Centre for Security
Analysis to monitor armed conflicts and other forms of crimes in the
country to inform lawmaking and oversight. Working with the
Executive, the 9th Assembly ensured the most significant funding
towards re-tooling and re-equipping the armed forces. We also ensured
improved transparency in security spending while engaging closely
with the major security actors to determine their needs. It is gratifying
to note that the sustained fight against terrorists, banditry and
kidnapping has produced positive results.
I wish to express my deep gratitude to former President Muhammadu
Buhari, GCFR, and you, my distinguished colleagues, for your
patriotism and commitment to pushing through these fundamental
reforms for the good of our country. This demonstrates that there is no
limit to what we can achieve where there is political will. Our
collective achievements also underscore and justify our decision to
adopt a cordial but professional approach to executive-legislative
relations focusing on constructive engagement rather than needless
antagonism and conflict. While asserting the independence of the
legislature and the principle of the separation of powers, we cooperated
in making laws and taking decisions that best protect the interest of all
Nigerians. Indeed, as all of you here can attest to, in the absence of
harmony and respect between the two arms of government, the
legislature cannot effectively monitor the Executive to ensure
appropriate checks and balances, and neither can it enact laws for the
order and good governance of Nigeria as constitutionally stipulated. A
healthy and constructive relationship between the Executive and
legislative arms promotes stability and continuity in governance. By
working together these past four years, we have positively addressed
pressing issues, resolved conflicts, and maintained political stability,
which is crucial for economic growth, social development, and
improved public trust in the government.
One of the legislature’s critical functions is to counterbalance the
Executive’s powers, ensure value for money in government spending
and promote transparency and accountability in using approved
resources. Ultimately, through oversight, the legislature improves the
efficiency and effectiveness of government operations and the quality
of governance and public service delivery. Accordingly, the Agenda
of the 9th Senate prioritised the enhancement and modernisation of
legislative systems and processes, including the operations of
committees, to improve the overall effectiveness of the Assembly in
the conduct of oversight. Other priority areas included ensuring
adherence to our legislative code of ethics, improved funding for
committee activities, greater collaboration with legislative support
institutions, particularly the National Institute for Legislative and
Democratic Studies (NILDS) and strengthening the human resource
capacity of legislators, staff and aides.
To strengthen legislative institutions, we ensured the completion and
commissioning of the NILDS magnificent permanent complex and
work on the permanent site of the National Assembly Service
Commission and the National Assembly Library is nearing
completion. Other innovations include the commissioning of the firstever Parliamentary Radio Station and the Legislative Centre for
Security Analysis, also the first in Africa. These institutions and
projects will contribute to enhancing legislative functions and
deepening democracy in Nigeria.
In the last four years, the various oversight Committees of the 9th
Senate conducted 371 visits to ministries, departments, agencies, and
projects across the country. Through these visits, we ensured that
government projects and programmes were implemented and
administered efficiently, effectively, and consistently with legislative
intent. We also conducted numerous investigative hearings to
examine specific issues of public concern, including subsidy claims,
power, crude oil theft, Production Sharing Contracts (PSA) and the
operations of MDAs such as NDDC, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust
Fund (NSITF) and many more. These probes ensured that those who
hold public offices are answerable to the legislature and the public. The
9th Senate also received 705 petitions (146 and 239 in the 1st and 2nd
Sessions and 232 and 88 in the 4th Sessions), which have either been
resolved or are at various stages of consideration.
Confirmation of certain categories of nominees for federal executive
and judiciary positions is one of the oversight mechanisms employed
by the legislatures to ensure the accountability of public officers to
citizens. The power to confirm presidential appointees is a
constitutionally assigned power of the Senate in Sections 147(2), 171
(2c) and Section 154 of the 1999 Constitution as altered. The 9th Senate
confirmed 241 appointments on the recommendations of the relevant
Committees.
Finally, in the discharge of our representative functions, the 9th Senate
aggregated and amplified the problems faced by our constituents. 361
motions were moved in the 9th Senate, and 488 Resolutions were
passed. Through these various motions and resolutions, we called the
government’s attention to specific issues and sought their intervention.
We entertained and resolved thousands of petitions brought before us
by Nigerians and enhanced engagement with civil society, media,
development partners, etc. Through constituency and zonal
intervention projects, Senators successfully attracted developmental
projects to their constituencies, which, in some instances, were the
only evidence of federal presence at the grassroots level.
Parliaments around the world have traditionally suffered from negative
stereotypes and poor public perception. A similar situation obtains in
Nigeria, where the National Assembly has been acutely misunderstood
and characterised negatively by popular narratives in the press and
social media. As the people’s representatives, we took it upon
ourselves to engage and sensitise the public on the roles and limitations
of
the
legislature.
We
introduced
the Distinguished
Parliamentarians Lecture Series to interface with the public on
crucial governance issues on a sustained basis. I had the honour of
delivering the maiden lecture in 2021, during which I emphasised
that while negative perceptions exist, they do not necessarily reflect
the reality of the National Assembly.
Distinguished Colleagues, despite our successes, we have grappled
with the public’s limited understanding of the legislature, leading to
stereotypes about the National Assembly. Notwithstanding, we created
various avenues to sensitise Nigerians on the roles and functions of the
legislature and our activities. The COVID-19 pandemic and the
ensuing economic crisis affected the operations of the National
Assembly. Nevertheless, we rose to the occasion by putting together
economic measures to protect the most vulnerable of our citizens.
Esteemed colleagues, today, our stewardship in the 9th Senate comes
to an end. As the cliché goes, all good things come to an end. We do
not depart with regrets but rather with a sense of accomplishment and
the knowledge that we made our modest contributions towards
building a better and prosperous Nigeria. Our work in this 9th Senate
provides a solid foundation and framework for succeeding Assemblies
to build on and sustain the gains already made. Our experience has
been documented in The Legacy Report of the 9th Senate.Copies will
be distributed to all Senators and the general public for posterity.
I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to my constituents who
elected me into the 9th Senate, my party, the All-Progressives Congress
(APC) and my family for their unwavering support and encouragement
throughout this journey. I thank you, all my colleagues, for voting me
to be the President of the Senate. It has been an honour and a privilege
for me to serve as a member of this revered legislative body and to
preside over its activities at a defining moment in our history. I have
endeavoured to discharge the obligations of my Office and run the
affairs of the Senate with the utmost sense of duty and responsibility.
I hope I have justified your faith in electing me as your Leader. Your
patriotism, hard work and dedication have restored my faith in the
Nigerian project. In these years, there have been disagreements,
debates and controversies, but we transcended partisan divides to work
for the common good of our people. I am more convinced today than
ever that despite its obvious imperfections, democracy, with the
legislature at its core, remains a beacon of hope and progress for
Nigeria. However, as a human being, I might have inadvertently
wronged some of our colleagues. For this, I seek your forgiveness.
I wish to conclude by congratulating H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
GCFR, on his inauguration as President and Commander-in-Chief. As
you take on this important responsibility, I pray Allah (SWT) will give
you the strength and wisdom to chart a new course for Nigeria. I
equally congratulate my brother and friend, Rt. Hon. Femi
Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives and incoming
Chief-of-Staff to the President. It has been a pleasure working
alongside you, and I thank you for the friendship and productive
working relationship. Congratulations also to Sen. Ibrahim Hassan
Hadejia, who has been appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to the
President, Office of the Vice President. I wish you both success in
your new roles, and I am confident that you will work to strengthen
executive-legislative relations for improved governance.
My special gratitude to the Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ovie
Omo-Agege CFR, Principal Officers and all distinguished Senators
for the support you have given me since my election. I also thank the
people of Nigeria that we represent for voting and entrusting us to
represent them in this hallowed Chamber. We do not take your
confidence in us for granted and hope we have represented you well
these past four years.
I also wish to acknowledge the incredible dedication and hard work of
the legislative bureaucracy under the leadership of the Clerk to the
National Assembly and all his predecessors. Equally worth
mentioning are all the administrative personnel of the Assembly who
keep the machinery of this institution running smoothly; their
contributions are often unsung but indispensable. Our special gratitude
to the Clerk Senate and all Chamber Staff for diligently providing
support and assistance for legislative work in Chamber. I extend my
special appreciation to the Director-General and Management of the
National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies for their
work in strengthening legislative capacity in Nigeria and compiling
this report. Our work in the 9th Senate was significantly improved by
input from civil society, development partners, especially the Konrad
Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre
(PLAC), as well as other stakeholders. We appreciate your
contribution to strengthening democracy in Nigeria and implore you
to continue to act as catalysts for more inclusive and participatory
democratic governance. We express our gratitude to the media,
especially members of the Senate Press Corps, for your excellent
coverage of all our activities.
To those leaving the Senate, I wish you all success in your future
endeavours and service to Nigeria, and to those that are returning, I
challenge you to build on the foundation we have laid in the Tenth
Senate.
As aptly remarked by Winston Churchill, “This is not the end. It is not
even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the
beginning”. I am proud to say that the 9th Senate has truly been “a
Senate that worked for Nigerians”.
May God bless us and bless our dear country Nigeria.
Once again, I thank you all.
Sen. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, PhD., GCON
President of the Senate
