Buhari and Saraki..

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, told journalists on Monday that he doesn’t have the powers to lift the six months suspension slammed on Senator Ali Ndume by the upper chamber last week.

Ndume was suspended for six months by the Senate over a motion he moved in which he called the attention of the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly to certificate and duty payment controversies involving Senators Dino Melaye and Saraki.

There have been calls for reversal of the suspension, especially by members of constituencies of the suspended senator.

But Saraki told journalists after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday that he cannot unilaterally reverse the suspension of Ndume

“We should try and understand how the parliament works; I wish I had such powers these powers you give me. The President or Speaker is first among equals they are just presiding officers, but unfortunately you know the legislative arm is the youngest people don’t understand, people give us this powers that we have, decisions that are taken in plenary is decision of all but I have a role to be able to convey the message.

“I will convey the message of the visit of the Governor of Borno and the Senate is one, we are all one family there will be issues like that, there is nothing that is sacrosanct or rigid,” he said

The Senate President also said the National Assembly is working on the 2017 Budget.

“We are on course as you note last week we did ask all the sub-committees to submit their reports to appropriation all that has been done now, it’s now collation and review then hopefully it will be passed very soon,” said Saraki who added that one the reasons for visiting the President is to let him know how far the National Assembly has gone on the 2017 budget.

Also speaking on the suspension of screening of Resident Electoral Commissioners, he said “As I said this is a routine meeting, there are many things that are important but there are other things that are even more important to do which is the budget.

“We talked also about the INEC bill that we have passed I took the president through some of the areas, very important areas because you know the President over many years is somebody that has gone through many elections and seen, so that was something he was really excited about, some of the new amendments like electronic voting, talks about electronic process for collation, those are landmark achievements that we hope that very soon the House will concur and will all come here for the President to assent.

“Some of these other issues it will happen but I don’t think it’s a major issue, but we are still moving ahead and still consulting,” he said

The Senate President, however, described the reconciliation committee set up by the executive to end its faceoff with the Senate as a good development. “Like I said there will always be issues on one or two things, it doesn’t mean that it is the foundation of it, when you have an arm of government that has to do with confirmation there will always be, for example, the NDDC bill we rejected 3 people from NDDC we keep on moving, we are all part of one government that is why despite all these, still major decisions are taken, like I said we did a critical amendments on INEC by Tuesday or Wednesday.

“ For the first time in the history of the legislature, we are going to lay a report on the PIB for consideration, it has never happened, for the past 20 years, it has not gotten to this stage, so its work in progress for the interest of Nigeria.

“Don’t let us get distracted by one or two infractions, it’s bound to happen, even America that we are copying even today as we are watching, see what is happening on the Supreme court these are things that happen on the part of democracy but I can reassure Nigerians that it’s just a drop in the ocean, it is not an issue that should stir the whole nation, be rest assured.

On whether the relationship between legislature and executive is cordial, he said, “It is cordial, you cannot examine it based on NDDC, based on EFCC, we have other issues, we have ministerial nominees that we are going to be working on, we have the budget that is more important, we have INEC, PIB we have so many important things and I think it’s a mixture of all that should guide us, don’t let us over heat on some of these issues.”

He, however, said his visit to the Villa is a routine consultation and collaboration observed to help improved workings of the executive with the legislature.