From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Future of Nigeria Movement (FNM) has told the 10th National Assembly to prioritize the welfare of the citizens far above their personal ambition.
The leader of the group, Mr Livingstone Wechie, gave the charge in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday.
Wechie stressed that the federal lawmakers must always be conscious of the burning expectations of the people for an improved nationhood.
He said: “The Future Nigeria Movement (FNM) is proposing that the 10th National Assembly should be of the highest patriotic standing and place the interest of Nigerians far above their personal ambitions.
“First of all, the independence of the National Assembly which is the spirit and face of Nigeria’s democracy, must be fought for if they must succeed as an institution for our overall development.”
The group said the 10th National Assembly should thoroughly engage the Executive and the Judiciary through oversight with projected achievable results with a view to bringing them to account in the spirit of good governance to better the lot of Nigerians.
Wechie said: “The National Assembly should endeavour to stand out by reinventing and reinforcing the mechanisms of their powers to ensure that our institutions work effectively to open opportunities for Nigerians to thrive and enjoy the protection of this administration.”
The group further challenged the National Assembly to address the fault lines of the nationhood by ensuring a constitutional reconstruction and restructuring of Nigeria.
He said: “It is our position that the National Assembly must run a transparent system and also make a legislative intervention to ensure the uncompromising and mandatory enforcement of its resolutions by the Executive.
“Finally, they are urged to work closely yet with checks and balances in their relationship with the Executive to ease the plight of Nigerians through close monitoring of the programmes and policies of the current administration.”