2019 Polls: Don’t Relegate Legislative Duties, UK Tells N’Assembly

The United Kingdom yesterday advised the National Assembly not to relegate legislative duties to the background as the political campaign for the 2019 general election in Nigeria gathers momentum.

The acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Harriet Thompson, who gave the advice in Abuja at a close-door meeting with both the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, emphatically told the National Assembly leadership not to relegate legislative duties to the background with the outset of campaigns for the 2019 general election in the country.

The envoy, who spoke with journalists at the end of the one-hour meeting, said: “We met with the Senate president and the Majority Leader of the Senate in order to talk about a very important legislative business that the National Assembly should undertake even before the elections and with the start of the official campaign period at the weekend.

“We are very pleased to hear from both the leader of the majority party and the Senate president that there is a great commitment to continue their important work.”

Thompson said she specifically told the NASS leadership on the need for the assembly to speed up action towards the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance (PIG) bill, the Police Reform bill, the Community and Non Allied Matters bill, the Gender Equality bill and the Disability bill. “There are bills in which we have key interests because we firmly believe that these bills are in the interest of the Nigerian people both in terms of their rights and in terms of their opportunities for economic development,” she further said.

Justifying her visit to the National Assembly, the High Commissioner said: “We are here at the National Assembly to draw attention to the statement released yesterday by the international community, including the UK, on the occasion of the beginning of formal campaign season.

She said: “We drew attention to the fact that as friends of Nigerians as well as maintaining our resolutely, objective position, we do not support any particular candidate or political party.

“We are strongly in support of a process that will be free, fair and credible, and that leads to the right outcome for Nigeria.

“We look forward to seeing the electoral parties set out their campaign issues and leading to transparent play so that the people of Nigeria can choose the candidates that will be best for them.