Senator representing Lagos East, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa said that Nigerians now appreciate the fact that the 8th senate is led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, whom he described has a man of clear vision.
Ashafa made the statement during an interview published on the twitter handle of the Nigerian Senate: @NGRSenate, Sen. Ashafa said that there was an urgent need to combat drug abuse among youths.
The interview which was conducted in commemoration of the 8th senate’s two years in office was recently made available to the public by Bamikole Omishore, Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on New Media.
Ahsafa said, “Let me give you an insights into what the upper chamber represents now in the words of President of the senate – ‘It is the linking hope of the electorates, constituents and governance and this he [Saraki] has been able to demonstrate by the sense of urgency in the areas of what he has been able to build together as economic bills to save us’
National Transport Commission Bill will help to regulate operator & regulator of Transport sector for benefit of Nigerians- @SenGbengaAshafa pic.twitter.com/WTb2LwYULi
— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) June 20, 2017
“This is the kind of senate we are running now, and Nigerians are coming to appreciate the importance of having a leader in the upper house that has clear vision as to where he is going and where he wants other senators to look at. I must commend the efforts of the senate president, he is like the headmaster in a school, if you far behind him, he looks for you and if you are in front he keeps pushing you to going forward.” He noted
Also speaking of some of his notable contribution in the senate, Ashafa gladly mentioned the National Transport Commission Bill saying the bill will help to regulate operator & regulator of transport sector for benefit of Nigerians.
He added, “The bill is very important, once you go through the first state of having a law that has separated the regulator from the operator, then we must have a regulating agency.For instance the bill that has just been passed [National Transport Commission Bill] what it has achieved is to have the Nigeria Railway Authority as the operator.
“You can’t be the operator and be the regulator at the same time. The bill that has just been passed will make the Nigeria Railway Authority the operator, the regulator will now come, in terms of commission, just like we have in telecoms where Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, regulates the sector.” He said
He conclyded that the commission will regulate the activities of the operators, particularly in the area of safety and economic operation so that end users won’t be billed out of propotion.