FIRST PLENARY OF THE 9TH SENATE, Resolved To debate the Democracy Day Speech of the President.

The first Plenary of the 9th Senate held 13th June 2019.
I moved a Motion for the Senate to debate the Democracy Day Speech of President Muhammadu Buhari.
To my mind, the speech sets out the agenda and road map of the administration’s second term and therefore ought to be debated by the Senate more so that it is the topical issue of national discuss and commentary.
The debate would have enabled Nigerians to know the perspectives and views of their Senators on the policy issues and programs contained therein and the necessary legislative interventions that the Senate will craft in that regard.
It is obvious that Senators of the governing party took the motion as an attack on the President and therefore needed to shield him by not allowing the debate which the Motion sought.
For the records, the Motion is reproduced thus;

MOTION ON MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE BROUGHT UNDER ORDER 42.
SUBJECT:
THE DEMOCRACY DAY SPEECH OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI GCFR OF 11TH JUNE, 2019.

SENATOR GYANG ISTIFANUS DUNG.

The Senate;
1. Notes that the Democracy Day Act was passed by the 8th Assembly and accented to into law by the President.

1. Also notes that the first Democracy Day was marked on 12th June, 2019 during which the President presented his 2nd Term inaugural speech to the nation.

2. Aware that the speech reviewed the performance of the administration in the last four years and set an agenda charting a road map for the administration in the next four years.

3. Further aware that the speech focused on the three point agenda of the administration ie, Security, Economy and fighting Corruption with specific highlights including;

– entrenching and strengthening democracy,
-combatting poverty by lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years,
-Resettling Displaced Communities and dealing decisively with new flashes of insecurity,
-addressing infrastructure gab in roads, power, ports and rail system,
-correcting injustices as a pre requisite for peace,
-and much more.

1. Persuaded that the speech has generated nation wide comments and debate.

2. Further persuaded that the speech shall preoccupy the media space, guide public discuss and become a yardstick for measuring the performance of the administration in the next four years.

3. Convinced that the Senate has a mandatory role to debate the speech to determine the necessary legislative interventions that will help in actualizing the objectives set out therein.

RESOLVES:
1. To debate the Democracy Day Speech of the President.

1. Identify and undertake specific legislative interventions that will ensure, the attainment of the objectives outlined in the Speech.

Signed:
Senator I.D. GYANG.