The Senate Is A Waste Of National Resources, Therfore Should Be Scrap! – Aliyu Abubakar

President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee for the position of National Commissioner of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Aliyu Abubakar has said that the Nigeria’s House of Senate is nothing but a waste of resources and, therefore, “must go”.
Mr. Aliyu Abubakar who was nominated to represent North-East on the NCC board, made the declaration when he appeared for screening before the upper legislative arm chaired by Senator Gift Nnaji (PDP-Enugu) on Wednesday.

The NCC nominee took part in the #OccupyNASS campaign staged some months ago which sought an end to bi-cameral legislature, scrapping of the upper legislative arm and removal of Bukola Saraki as Senate President considering his corruption trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Based on his involvement in the campaign, one of the committee members confronted Mr. Abubakar with photographs of himself and others protesting at the NASS gate and asking that the upper house of the National Assembly of Nigeria be scrapped and questioned him on why he took part in the protest against the same body he faced to be screened and confirmed for appointment.

But without mixing words, Mr. Abubakar maintained his position, giving reasons why the upper legislative arm should be scrapped.

According to him;

    “The senators receive huge transport, wardrobe and dressing allowances and they purchase expensive cars from public purse, an economic loss to the country. The Senate is an avenue for wastage of scarce economic resources of the country, therefore…the Senate must go.”

Speaking to newsmen after the screening, he clarified his stand, saying that he only affirmed being a part of the protest against NASS and gave his reasons for doing so.

“It is not true that I told members of the committee that the Senate should be scrapped. They asked me whether I was part of the group that agitated for the scrapping of the Senate and I said yes because of so many things involved in the Senate and their budget.

“They asked me to state the reasons why we were agitating for the scrapping of the Senate, I said it is because of their huge budget; they consume a lot of resources from the government; they put it in their own budget.

“Also, they have transport allowance and, yet, they budget a lot of money to acquire vehicles.”

Nevertheless, when asked if he still stands by his position during the protest, he said, “The Senate must go because something has to be done to cut down the expenses on the Senate. I still maintain that.”