By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Former Minority Leader and federal lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe has said that the 10th Senate won’t be swayed by pecuniary considerations in electing the principal officers.
Abaribe who said the considerations will be that of national interest first before any other thing, stated this at the side line during the valedictory session of the Senate on Saturday while fielding questions from newsmen.
Reacting to the question that there are fears in certain quarters that a first timer may energe as Senate President because of influence of money, Senator Abaribe said he is not worried and do not also think that those fears are justified.
He said that by the time or before you are elected to come to the Senate, you are already a made person and I do not think you will be swayed by pecuniary considerations. I think the consideration will be national interest first before any other thing.
The vocal Senator who expressed worry that about 75 percent of his members are not returning said the fact that we seem to throw away a lot of experience with the revolving chair that happen in most senatorial districts bothers him. He informed that there’s something called institutional memory and something called learning on the job and by the time you spent.
According to him, for a new person,it will take him a little while to get to grips of what on the Senate.
On the distortions associated with about 75 percent of members not returning, the Abia politician said there may be a lot of unfinished projects which will necessarily suffer a stop now just because the person who is promoting or pushing it is no longer available.
Abaribe urged Senators to put interest of the country first beyond any other thing.
When asked to rate the performance of the 9th Senate, Abaribe has this say:
” It was not best of times and not worst of times. I can summarise the 9th Assembly by saying we could have done much better than we did. But that is how life is at all times. You may not be able to get what you want always. I do hope that when the 10th Assembly is inaugurated on Tuesday, 13 June, it will be an improvement on the 9th Assembly”.
