ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR (DR) DAVID A. B. MARK, GCON, fnim, ON THE RESUMPTION OF PLENARY ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2012

SENATOR (DR) DAVID A. B. MARK

Protocol:

Distinguished colleagues, I am pleased to welcome you back. I hope that inspite of all that has happened you have had some rest as well as the opportunity to spend time with friends, families and constituents.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Distinguished colleagues, we have reconvened at a trying period in our nation’s history. We are confronted by security challenges in different parts of the country, which are testing our collective resolve to live together as a united indivisible nation. The Christmas Day bomb attack at Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla and other attacks in different parts of the country especially the North East which has claimed many innocent lives, represents the most daring and costly attack by terrorists on fellow Nigerians. The attacks have instilled fear in the minds of ordinary Nigerians and threaten to impede the exercise of nation building. Once again, our tested cultural and religious values, which emphasize respect for life, are being eroded by these unscrupulous elements among us.

During my visit to Madalla, I saw first-hand the horrors of the attack and the wanton destruction it left in its trail. Once again, I wish to, on behalf of this Senate express our deepest sorrow and heartfelt condolence to families and friends who lost loved ones in the various bombing incidents and acts of violence across the country. We pray for the repose of the souls of the dead and assure the families that they are in our thoughts and prayers.
The current security challenge has reinforced the need to aggressively pursue economic development and simultaneously implement the war on terrorism. In this regard, let me caution against reckless utterances by some Nigerians that endanger our national unity.

Statements that encourage people to move from one region to another on the basis of faith and ethnicity is unpatriotic.  It portends danger to our corporate existence and a clear invitation to anarchy.

FUEL SUBSIDY

Another pressing issue facing our constituents today relates to the decision by the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy. As we are well aware, this decision has not been popularly received by our people who consider it a bitter pill to swallow. Although the economic argument in support of fuel subsidy removal is compelling, the political and social imperatives must also be considered. On the other hand, this government is compelled by a genuine drive to transform the country and expand opportunities for economic growth.

In order to overcome this impasse, it is imperative that we engage each other honestly on this issue. In line with this, during the recess, I directed the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment & Productivity to interface with labour groups. I had also urged individual Senators to engage with Labour and Civil Society Organisations.

The Senate Leadership has also been interfacing with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress as well as the Executive. These talks are ongoing and I hope that it will lead to an outcome that will be in the best interest of Nigerians.

Distinguished Colleagues, you will recall that this Senate had earlier directed its Committees on Petroleum Resources Downstream, Finance and Appropriations to look into the management of the subsidy scheme. We are yet to receive its report. Let me assure Nigerians that the Senate will not shy away from using its legislative instrument to bring to book all those found to have abused the subsidy proceeds. 

National Unity

I wish to appeal to Nigerians to embrace peace as it is the surest and indeed only way for genuine development. At this very difficult time, there are those that will like to lead us to believe that our country has reached the precipice or that the country is unstable. Challenges are normal in life but we must learn to act decisively when they arise. Let us not despair. In the words of Gandhi, for unity to be real it must stand the severest strain without breaking. May our unity never break!


It is however crucial that we work assiduously towards building bridges of understanding and mutual co-existence between and amongst ethnic and religious groups in the country.
In conclusion, therefore, on behalf of my distinguished colleagues, let me reassure Nigerians that this Senate will not fall short of its responsibilities. We shall continue to legislate in the open and fairly on all matters that concern our people.

Dear colleagues, we stand on the threshold of history and I hope we shall be remembered for making the right decisions to preserve the unity of this great country.

In line with the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola, let me urge us to serve our people generously as they deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward, except to know that we are doing our sworn duty to our fatherland.

God bless you, and God bless Nigeria!

Senator (Dr.) David A. B. Mark, GCON, fnim
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIAN SENATE, DAVID A.B MARK, GCON, fnim, ON THE RESUMPTION OF PLENARY ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2012

Protocol:

Distinguished colleagues, we have all come back to this hallowed Chamber after a well-deserved recess. I am highly pleased to sincerely welcome you back with the hope that you have had the desired rest as well as the opportunity to spend time with friends and family and equally significantly to interface with constituents.

You will recall that just before going on recess, we welcomed His Excellency, the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, to the National Assembly when he performed the important function of budget presentation. Once again, permit me to candidly laud your great dedication to duty and your boundless patriotism. I equally commend the enthusiasm and unflinching devotion you displayed throughout the exercise. Equally commendable is your massive attendance and participation.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Distinguished colleagues, we have reconvened at a very difficult time in our nation’s history. We are buffeted by tides of insecurity and terrorism in different parts of the country which are testing our collective resolve to live together as a united indivisible nation. The Christmas Day bomb attack at Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla which claimed 40 innocent lives represents the most daring and costly attack by terrorists on fellow Nigerians. During my visit to the bomb site, I saw first-hand the horrors of the attack and the wanton destruction it left on its trail. Once again, I wish to, on behalf of this Senate express our deepest sorrow and heartfelt condolences to families and friends who lost loved ones in the various bombing incidents and acts of violence across the country. We pray for the repose of the souls of the dead and assure the families that they are in our thoughts and prayers. May your strength prevail to help you through this difficult time.

This and other attacks across the country, especially in the North Eastern States, have not only resulted in loss of lives and property but also disrupted businesses and commercial activities. The attacks have instilled fear in the minds of ordinary Nigerians and threaten to impede the exercise of nation building. Once again our tested cultural and religious values which emphasize respect for life are being eroded by these unscrupulous elements among us.

The current security challenge confronting us today has reinforced the need to aggressively implement the war on terrorism. We must work to stem the tide of violence in this country by improving our security system. In this regard, improved national security intelligence is vital because knowledge, rather than power, is the only effective tool to prevail in the face of the wide range of asymmetric threats to our national security. We must ensure that Nigerians are not scared to freely go about their legitimate business.

The National Assembly would play its part to uncover the masterminds of these acts of aggression against Nigerians. They must be fished out and punished according to the law of the land. Government must make sure that evil does not thrive over good. On its part, the Senate must continue its laudable effort in the quest for peace, unity and security in the land.
Dear colleagues, the generality of our people are getting disenchanted with government due to the security situation. The National Assembly must ensure that the people we represent live in absolute security and freedom to pursue their livelihoods. We must continually develop the tools and expertise necessary for us to play an effective role in defence and security. Our relationship with the other arms of government and security agencies should be consolidated and constructive. As representatives of the people, we are at the heart of the democratic system. Hence, it is also our role to involve our constituents in determining the root causes of insecurity and finding lasting solutions.

It is unacceptable for us to continue to pretend that we do not know the perpetrators of this violence or that we are helpless to confront them. As I have previously stated in this chamber, tougher measures must be put in place by government to make it hard for these groups and organisations to operate. This should be done in consultation with the National Assembly as I must emphasize that a defence and security policy cannot endure without the support of the public it is deemed to protect.

The National Assembly has the fundamental task of holding their executives to account for the policies and expenditure required for the defence and security of the nation. But beyond this, we must also scrutinize, oversee and monitor the development and implementation of these policies as well as the running and organisation of the armed forces and other security agencies. Effective scrutiny and oversight requires regular and systematic consultation on all aspects of defence and the armed forces and security services.

FUEL SUBSIDY

Another pressing issue facing our constituents today relates to the decision by the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy. As we are well aware, this decision has not been popularly received by our people who consider it a bitter pill to swallow. On behalf of the Senate therefore, I wish to sympathise with Nigerians on this issue. Whereas we acknowledge that there is merit to deregulation, we are also aware that more to the economics of it, there are also social considerations.

The apprehension felt by most Nigerians is understandable given the perception that previous deregulations of the oil downstream sector did not yield the desired results. Also, Nigerians think that fuel is about the only benefit they get from the government. On the other hand, this government is driven by a genuine drive to transform the country and expand opportunities for economic growth.

In order to overcome this impasse, it is imperative that we engage each other honestly on this issue. We encourage a continuous dialogue between the government and the people to reach a solution that promotes the greatest happiness for Nigerians especially the poor and the vulnerable.

The arguments for and against subsidy have their merits and the on-going debate in the country has raised some serious questions that need addressing. We as politicians and leaders must make bold interventions. We must address the fundamental problem of corruption that cripples our country. This is the reason why subsidy doesn’t get to the final consumer but is rather circumvented by middlemen and a few cabals. We must work towards doing away with the national spectacle that a country like Nigeria that produces so much crude has to import fuel. Refining more of Nigeria’s crude would give us higher stakes in a deregulated market, stimulate medium-scale service industries and also provide greater job opportunities for our teeming unemployed.

Here in the Senate, we will always support every effort of the President and Commander in Chief to make life better for the Nigerian people so long as such efforts would be in the interest of the vast majority of the people. 

JOB CREATION

Distinguished colleagues, a major challenge facing us today is the problem of unemployment. Despite impressive figures pointing to the growth of our economy, unemployment rates in the country are still significantly high.  Unemployment has an impact on the individual and on the economic well-being of this country. As political leaders, we have to deal with an unemployment problem since unemployment leads to poverty, low quality of life, social, political and economic ills.

In Nigeria, unemployment is well pronounced. Many secondary school leavers and university graduates cannot find jobs, and many engage in jobs in which their potentials are not fully utilized. Unemployment is one of the major causes of poverty in our country today.
The institution of the Senate has continually maintained that job delivery to Nigerians is very crucial and that the federal government has to address this issue. As representatives of the people, we know first-hand the problem of unemployment as it affects our constituents. My dear colleagues, we must continue to work towards addressing this problem.

Tackling unemployment first entails understanding the scope of the problem and exact number of Nigerians affected. This will enable us to plan and devise long lasting solutions. The failure of previous attempts to curb unemployment in the country have been due to poor implementation of employment related policies. The Senate will continue to prevail on relevant government agencies especially the Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the National Directorate on Employment (NDE) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBE) to work concertedly towards job creation for our teeming unemployed.

Equally important, however, is the need for government to develop broad-based and labour intensive growth strategies. Nigeria needs broad-based and labour intensive growth strategies. We must put in place adequate social services and infrastructure to reduce the depth and severity of poverty in Nigeria. Additionally, growth strategies should be targeted at the poor and more investment should be made in human capital. Agriculture should be adequately boosted and sufficient emphasis should be placed on manufacturing and petroleum industries.

Education

The panacea to unemployment in Nigeria, however, lies not only with economic growth but more so with skill empowerment of Nigerian youths. It is glaringly obvious that the education sector has largely been ignored in the past and no systematic policies have been put in place to strengthen it and make education more targeted to the challenges of the 21st century. Yet, without meaningful education, national growth is impossible and a nation that fails to educate its young people is heading towards self-destruction. Education is the most profitable investment we can make today as a lasting legacy to our children.

Thus, government at all levels must give priority attention to the education of all Nigerians, especially the youth. We must work together to redeem our educational sector and restore the glory days when our schools were true citadels of learning. This will entail addressing the perpetual neglect that has characterized the sector as well as policy inconsistency or its poor execution and inadequate funding.

Our desire as a country to be among the 20 most developed countries in the world by 2020 can only be achieved when we refocus and reinvigorate our education sector and focus more on technical education and Science and Technology as these provide impetus for sustainable national development and growth. All tiers of government as well as individuals and the private sector must work towards addressing the rot in our schools through adequate funding and a more focus on research. Also, government should work towards ending strikes that continue to affect our higher institutions of learning.

Here in the Senate, I encourage us to continue to work towards increasing access and participation of young Nigerians, especially women and girls to education, training and science and technology. This can be done through increasing education budgets and emphasizing on technical education.

National Unity

Dear distinguished colleagues, these issues that I have dwelt on are by no means the only ones needing our deliberation upon resumption. However, I have highlighted them because of their immediate importance. I have no doubt in my mind of our ability as Senate to respond to them accordingly and decisively. We have never shied away from performing our legislative duties in the past and we have intervened on equally grave matters of national importance. 

On behalf of the Senate therefore, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to embrace peace as it is the surest and indeed only way for genuine development. At this very difficult time, there are those that will like to lead us to believe that our country has reached the precipice or that the country is unstable. Let me assure Nigerians that we have faced worse situations in the past and we have survived and were the stronger for them. Challenges are normal in life and the true test of patriotism is our ability to collective deal with these challenges by renewing our allegiance and asserting our unity as a people. So let these challenges not paralyze us but help us discover our strength as a people. In the words of Gandhi, for unity to be real it must stand the severest strain without breaking. May our unity never break!

Distinguished colleagues, our responsibility during these times centres around being impartial umpires and listening empathetically to the fears, worries and concerns of our constituents. We must reassure them of the need to be law-abiding and peaceful to ensure genuine development.

As I have maintained in the past, we as Senate cannot sit on the fence nor can we indulge ourselves in immoral apathy to the national challenges confronting us today. We are the heart of Nigeria’s democracy and must therefore never allow things to deteriorate. It is crucial that we work assiduously towards building bridges of understanding and mutual co-existence between and amongst ethnic and religious groups in the country.

As the people’s arm of government, parliament is critical to the long-term democratic development of a nation. We must therefore continually exercise our mandate as a national, long-term conflict prevention mechanism through constitutional and democracy development strengthening, oversight on allocation of resources and legislative-constituent peace building among others.

In conclusion, therefore, on behalf of my distinguished colleagues, let me reassure Nigerians that this Senate will not fall short of its responsibilities. We shall continue to legislate open and fairly and mediate on all matters that concern our people.

Dear colleagues, we stand on the threshold of history and I hope we shall be remembered for making the right decisions to preserve the unity of this great country. May we be remembered for being true champions of democracy and for being responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerians.  As we resume full business, I pray that God will give us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the ones we can and the wisdom to know the difference!

Once more, I welcome you back. May we serve our people generously as they deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labour and not to ask for any reward, except to know that we are doing our sworn duty to our fatherland.

God bless you, and God bless Nigeria!