By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
The Senator representing
South Senatorial District Yemi Adaramodu have said the current 9th Assembly members are not rubber stamp senators contrary to views by some Nigerians.
Senator Adaramodu while speaking with journalists in his home town in Ilawe Ekiti said the senate is not a wrestling arena while senators will be fighting the executive, judiciary or other arms of the government while neglecting the constitutional roles they are supposed to carry out.
He declares that the hallowed chamber is strictly for parliamentary business whilst its saddled with the responsibility to make laws, appropriate bills while the executive and the judiciary executes and interprete accordingly.
Adaramodu who is the Senate spokesperson said the Senate is focused and will not be distracted with cheap blackmail but instead focus on issues that will bring development into the country.
” If the Executive brings a bill for minimum wage wont we treat it? If it is appropriation bill wont it be looked into? If it is a bill concerning the construction of road should we throw it away?”
“The problem is that everybody in Nigeria wants to make laws that suits them and when they hear about any bill instead of them to calm down and go through it properly the first thing such people will do is to accuse the Senate of being a rubber stamp of the executive which is not true.”
Senator Adaramodu while urging Nigerians to always get the facts of bills and issues before calling the Senate names especially on the the state of emergency declared in Rivers state.
According to him, there are rules and it expressely that we are going to make rules and laws that will guide the affairs of the house internally including the provision of a rule of emergency if their is imminent danger that can jeopardize the peace in any state. Such issue is brought before before the house and after we might have done our own part constitutionally it goes back to the president table who is empowered to announce”
He accused Governor Sim Fubara and the Rivers State Assembly members whom he claimed put the affairs of the state into chaos and anarchy and that in the absence of a functional government, the house after forming a quorum of 74 out of 109 all answered ‘hi’ when it was tabled for votes.
Senator Adramodu explained that the Senate has no reason to formulate or support anti people policies as many people have erroneously believed especially on the tax reform bill.
In his words, ” the tax reform bills was antagonized by very many people, to them the Senate is bent on making lives difficult for the masses but now how many of them are still complaining about the tax reform bills now? ”
He explained that the tax reform bill are game changers that will redefine and environment significantly. When enacted, the bills will address inequality and injustice that characterise our tax system.”He concluded that Value Added Tax will no longer be placed on exports and essential consumptions by the masses.