Blame Obasanjo, other leaders for Nigeria’s woes — SARAKI

ABUJA—SENATE President, Bukola Saraki, yesterday,
responded informally to former President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s letter to him last week, blaming all past
leaders since 1999 for the woes the country is presently
facing.
Saraki said rather than blame an individual, all past
leaders of the country since the return of democracy in
1999 were culpable of the present economic problems of
the country.
He insisted that all public office holders in Nigeria since
1999 , were involved in one way or the other, in the
mistakes of the past that led the country to the present
political and economic mess.
The Senate President spoke while responding to
questions from journalists on the alleged secrecy of the
National Assembly’s budget and corruption leveled
against it by former President Obasanjo in a recent letter.
Saraki
He noted that it was wrong for anybody to hold an
individual or group of people solely responsible for the
mess of the past.
Saraki said rather than trading blames on the woes
afflicting the country now, what was needed from all
stakeholders was a collective participation of all for the
good of all Nigerian.
He vowed that details of the N115 billion National
Assembly budget on section by section basis, would be
transparently put into the public domain this year as
against the practice of one item in the past.
He said: "We’ve all been here since 1999 up to the recent
past when things were not done right; we are all part of
it. I was there, you were there, every other political office
holder in different capacities were there as well."
“My own view from the 8th National Assembly is that
the time for collective participation for the good of all
Nigerians is here with us in line with the change mantra
of the present administration . We are all on the same
page for things to be done differently.
“I think what we need now from all stakeholders , is more
of cooperation, encouragement and participation as
oppose to trying to hold one person responsible for the
mistakes of the past that we are all part of .It is clearly
not the right thing needed now.
“I Appeal to you , appeal to all Nigerians that we should
work together just as I assure you all that we will do well
here in NASS to practically complement the change
agenda, ‘’ he said.