Leadership / Nigeria: Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, yesterday advocated for teachers’ salaries to become an item in the capital expenditure in the budget of state and federal governments in order to ensure prompt payment to beneficiaries.
Saraki, who spoke during an interactive Town Hall meeting styled ‘#AskSaraki’, which was organised for constituents of his Kwara Central Senatorial district, as part of the activities to mark the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, noted, “I have always said that teachers’ salary is one of the priorities that we must not neglect. This is why we should consider transitioning all such line items in the national and state budgets into capital expenditures. This will ensure that education is always a matter of greatest importance and teachers salary is always promptly paid.”
He added that it was useless to put building of classrooms and provision of laboratory equipment in capital expenditure when the teachers who will teach students are not paid and therefore not happy.
Saraki who gave account of his stewardship as both Senator representing Kwara Central District and the chairman of the 8th National Assembly, also addressed his concerns about the lingering economic situation in the country, emphasising that a concerted legislative and policy thrust from both the National Assembly and the executive arms was needed to bring Nigeria out of recession.
“As things stand, I understand your concerns and feel your pains about the economy. I assure you that we will work together to bring about legislative and policy solutions to address the lingering economic situation.”
Saraki answered questions from citizens and community leaders representing various interests in the state, primarily about the economic recession, unemployment rates, and his legislative stewardship throughout the 8th Assembly, highlighting his advocacy and lawmaking activities which have brought about the passage of bills like the Public Procurement Act Amendment, aimed at giving local producers and service providers first-option priority in government procurement process and the championing of the Made- in- Nigeria campaign.
…Says his travails will fizzle out soon
The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki yesterday described his current political travails as mere distractions that would soon fizzle out.
Saraki stated this at a town hall meeting with Kwarans, comprising national groups, community groups and religious bodies among others in Ilorin, the Kwara State, capital.
He added that “those distractions have started giving way.”
“All the travails one is going through for those people who believe in God, knows that all these are politics. All those are distractions not to allow us focus on issues. They always say that the truth will always prevail. We are beginning to see it is already prevailing. The distractions are finding their ways.
“I want to assure you that since my eight years as governor of the state, the legacy that we left is there for people to see. There is nobody after I have left office that can say either there is any uncompleted project or any contractor anywhere in Kwara State can stand up and say I demanded for any gratification from him.
“I want to say that my business in government is to improve the lives of the people. If it is for myself and family, I don’t have to be in government,” he stated.
Saraki who thanked Kwarans for their solidarity with him, assured Nigerians that government at the centre was striving hard to revamp the nation’s ailing economy.
He said that the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led government has no excuse not to fix the ailing economy.
He explained that no responsible leader would abandon his followers in time of distress to wallow in suffering as being experienced with the current economic recession in the country.
