The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Michael Bamidele, has supported the National Assembly’s decision to confirm President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on Saturday, saying it should be applauded rather than demonised.
As a responsible and responsive parliament, Bamidele argued that an emergency “is an extraordinary measure, and it must be treated as such in the interest of peace and without subjecting to the scrutiny of some parochial interests.”
At the 29th convocation of Ekiti State University (EKSU), located in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, he provided these explanations.
Bamidele provided insight into the National Assembly’s involvement, noting that the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State and the National Assembly’s approval of it greatly reduced political tension in the state.
But for this laudable decision that prevented further descent into anarchy in Rivers State, the senate leader said the National Assembly “has been subjected to all forms of toxic criticism that do not portray us well before the comity of nations.
“What exactly do we want as a people? A federation that functions for all? Or a federation that relapses into an intractable crisis? We must recognise that emergency rule is an extraordinary measure, and it must be treated as such in the interest of peace and security.
“As stipulated in Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the National Assembly is required to provide its details. The provisions of the 1999 Constitution cannot be interpreted casually without a proper understanding of the Nigeria Interpretation Act. 2004.
“As a responsible and responsive parliament that sees peace and stability as a catalyst of growth and development, we were inaugurated into office to promote a nation that works for all and that guarantees the peaceful coexistence of all.
“This desire defines our resolve to ratify the proclamation of the state of emergency in Rivers State with far-reaching provisions. One such provision is the constitution of the National Peace Committee to midwife the peace process between the Executive and Legislature in the state.
“We should be commended for this laudable initiative and not be vilified by some political actors, who do not bother about what happens to our national security, but about their parochial interest. Regardless of their unpatriotic moves, we firmly stand for the peace and stability of Nigeria.
“We shall continue to leverage the Authority of the National Assembly to guarantee her peaceful co-existence.
“Our decision, as an institution, is taken purely in the national interest. If any interest is unsatisfied with it, they can as well seek redress in the law court,” Bamidele reflected.
He expressed grave concerns about a barrage of attacks that the opposition parties are viciously launching against the National Assembly, noting that the reasons for such attacks “are purely based on emotion and not reasons; sentiment and not substance.
“Regardless of attacks our critics are throwing at the National Assembly, we are undeterred because we are truly on a rescue mission. The essence of the mission aims at bringing our fatherland from the abyss of regression to the path of progression through the enactment of pro-people legislations and by cultivating strategic collaboration with other arms of government.”
“Collaboration, in this sense, does not suggest the erosion of the independence of the National Assembly for any reason. Rather, in reality, it reinforces the spirit of interdependence that constitutional democracy entails in order to resolve hydra-headed issues that often clog the mechanism of accountable governance,” he clarified.
“The National Assembly is now focused on building a federation that enjoys internal stability and that rests solidly on the rules of law through the instrumentality of legislation, oversight, and representation,” Bamidele disclosed.
“We are also committed to creating a system that will enable quality education; that will guarantee limitless placements for all our graduates; that will prioritise access to decent houses nationwide; that will significantly reverse our nation’s reports of untold misery and that will, most importantly, remove all barriers to gender inequality.
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“How can our nation attain this lofty status without a strategic collaboration being forged among various arms of government? This is the exact question that our hardened critics have failed to ask themselves. Anyway, we have left them to their politically motivated attacks.”
“This does not suggest we are afraid of criticisms as the foremost democratic institution. We are not and we will never be because we believe democracy naturally thrives on public criticism. But such criticisms must be constructive and well structured with the intention of providing alternative, credible and patriotic initiatives, “Bamidele observed.
Additionally, at the convocation, the institution’s pro-chancellor, Professor Akin Oyebode, recognised the alumni’s commitment to the institution’s growth, stating that alumni are crucial in supporting their alma mater at several universities around the globe.
He especially discussed how, via Senator Bamidele, the alumni association made it possible for two medical hostels—one for men and one for women—to be donated.
He stated that the alumni, through Senator Bamidele, made sure that two more medical hostels, a little stadium, a two-kilometer road connecting the alumni village and the medical college, a CBE Centre with 500 seats, and an FM radio station were built.
In a speech, the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ayodele, expressed his happiness at the university’s recent Times Higher Education ranking as Nigeria’s top state university.
Additionally, Ayodele pointed out that the institution’s performance might be attributed to the increase in the university’s monthly subvention from N260 million to N410 million.
