Buhari salutes Lawan-led NASS for always approving loan requests

President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the leaders and members of the ninth national assembly famous for approving any loan request of the Nigerian leader.

​”At this juncture, it is very appropriate that I salute the leadership and members of the Ninth Assembly for their patriotism, dedication to duty, candour and most importantly the dispatch with which they have enacted legacy legislations for this nation,” Mr Buhari said in a televised broadcast to mark the nation’s 61st anniversary celebration. “I do not take such level of cooperation for granted and hope it continues for the overall efficiency of the Federal machinery.”

The National Assembly under Senate President Ahmad Lawan which critics have described as rubber stamp is known for approving loan requests of the president.

This year alone, the lawmaking arm of government has approved three loan requests of the president with the consideration of the fourth one underway.

Mr Lawan, who has rejected the tag on the national assembly he leads, said he chooses to maintain the good relationship between the executive and legislative branches for the betterment of Nigerians.

The eight national assembly under former Senate President Bukola Saraki was described as the clog in the will of progress by the Buhari regime for not approving most of loan requests of the president among other issues.

The All Progressive Congress-led regime ensured the top lawmaker’s tenure was rough with several failed attempts to boot him out. Mr Saraki later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and could not be re-elected to the red chamber in 2019.