Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Chief Osita Okechukwu, says Sen. Ahmad Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila being Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives will bring progress to the National Assembly.

Okechukwu, who is also Administrative Secretary of Buhari Support Organisation and Zikist-Buharist-Movement, said this on Sunday to newsmen at Nkerifi community in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State at the wedding ceremony of Mr. Tochi Eze.

He noted that in his “honest opinion”, other lawmakers should allow Lawan and Gbajabiamila be.

According to him, without prejudice to the zoning convention, distinguished Sen. Lawan and Hon Gbajabiamila have paid their dues in the progressive camp.

“They have been consistent, steadfast and had persevered in the struggle which made our victory possible. They are our arrowheads in the National Assembly,” Okechukwu, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari for over 20 years, said.

On complains by other Senators that method adopted by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman of APC, lacked finesse and is less than democratic, Okechukwu appealed to APC bigwigs to support President Buhari’s wish for the National Assembly to stand.

“May I use this golden opportunity to appeal to my dear friend, distinguished Sen. Ali Ndume; my big brother, Sen. Orji Kalu; and indeed distinguished Senators and Honorable Members of political parties to support Buhari in his last leg.

“They should faithfully allow Buhari’s proposal as per the leadership of the National Assembly to stand.

“Please leave Comrade Chairman’s political correctness out of the equation, for in the fullness of time, the regime will be remembered as Buhari’s administration, not Oshiomhole’s administration,” he said.

Okechukwu, however, noted that he was a supporter of a robust legislature, which the experience and diligence of Sen. Lawan and Hon. Gbajabiamila would bring to the table.

“Any day any time, one is an avid supporter of a robust legislature, that is why I support the independence of State Houses of Assembly. Luckily, Buhari has placed independence of State Assembly on the front burner.

“All one is saying is that with mounting gross unemployment, broken infrastructure and high despondency in the land, Buhari needs all hands on deck to consolidate the development of critical infrastructure he had embarked upon.

“He needs seamless legislation to advance the 5,000 kilometres of Federal roads, 5,000 kilometres of Standard Gauge Rail lines and additional 5,000 megawatts of electricity.

“The sage says once beaten twice shy, he was stung in his first term,” he said.

The VON DG, however, assured the people of the South-East geographical zone of Buhari’s resolve to run an inclusive government, which he had reiterated many times in his post-electoral victory meetings with various groups lately.

“At any rate, outside critical infrastructures like Eastern Corridor Railways, 2nd Niger Bridge, Enugu Coal, Eastern gas pipeline, agrarian revolution and similar projects nationwide which cordial bi-partisan National Assembly will engender, motivate and guarantee, there are other strategic offices outside the chambers of the National Assembly to compensate such geopolitical zones,” he added.

Update news