Senator representing Bayelsa East, Ben Murray-Bruce on Friday,
disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari was expected back in the
country next week. He also hinted that there will be a high-powered meeting between the Senate and the President when he returns.
In an interview with Vanguard, he lamented the continued hardship in
Nigeria and how the country was lagging behind in its development.
The lawmaker said: “Nigeria has not really made any progress in the last 2 years. I think we are in big trouble right now.
“When the President gets back, we would need to sit down with him and
have a conversation. There is no point having a conversation with
anybody who is not a president.
“I am thinking the Senate. We will have a conversation. A bipartisan
team will go and meet with Mr. President and have a conversation with
him. Not APC senators meeting the president but the Senate meeting him
and have a conversation on the future of Nigeria.
“That’s what I am gonna propose. That we sit down with him and
discuss the issues. He’s the president and you can’t change that and I
respect constitutional authority. He is the President of Nigeria and we
will sit down with him and discuss the problems facing the country.
“In 2019 when there is another president, that will no another issue.
But right now, he is the president and we need to sit down with him and
discuss the issues. I understand he will be here next week.
“Let’s talk to the President directly. I think it is important to speak with the President Buhari.”
On the issues to confront Buhari with, Senator Murray-Bruce said it was all encompassing.
“All the issues affecting the country. This is my proposal. I am
going to sit down with the Senate President and say, look, let’s sit
down with the President.
“He’s not an APC President. He’s president of Nigeria. So, I don’t
want to say APC governors, senators seeing him. He should see Nigeria
not APC. This is what I am gonna request, hopefully it will be granted
and we are gonna have a conversation.
“Everything agitates my mind. The economy is in trouble, there is
inflation, unemployment, schools, every year, a million kids cannot go
to school. Automobile policy of Nigeria is 1922 policy. Mass transit
policy is 1825. Our educational policy is 1942 policy. Are you kidding?
We are in the stone age. These are not caused by him.
“I don’t want to accuse anybody but previous government did a lousy
job. You have a educational policy set up by the colonial masters, have
you changed that? Do you have a policy on Power, Health? Name one rich
man who does not send his child, or himself to be treated abroad. You
spend millions of Naira in Ghana every year on education. You have the
health stories in India.
“So, what is going right? That has to be dealt with. We need to
discuss it. I am not a critic, not here to run down anybody but I have a
solution to our problem,” he said.