…says questions must asked about utilization of fuel subsidy funds

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

Member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency of Benue State on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Philip Agbese has said that high premium was placed on the 10th House by Nigerians to meet their expectations.

He therefore assured that the House under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas won’t be docile.

Speaking ahead of the resumption of plenary session of the House on Tuesday next week after its inauguration on June 13 for a week Sallah holiday, Agbese said that the joint ticket of Abass and his deputy, Hon. Benjamin Kalu was unanimously endorsed by the members, reason they polled over 350 votes in the elections to win their offices.

He said: “We have had few sittings after our inauguration and Nigerians can attest to that, that the debate had been healthy and powerful.

“I don’t see a docile House, rather I see a House that will live up to its expectations. I see a House that will fulfill its mandate. I see a House that will deliver on the expectations of the Nigerian people.

“I also see a House that the international community, for the first time in the history of our country, will be proud to say, yes indeed, in Nigeria there is a parliament.

“We want to deliver on our campaign promises to the electorate. The masses are waiting for us; the unemployed youths are eagerly asking what we have for them as a government.

“They are asking what the Parliament is doing concerning their yearnings and aspirations. It is time for governance.

“The various political parties are also coming up with their leadership structure all for a focused parliament.”

Speaking on the crop of fresh representatives in the 10th Assembly, the lawmaker said that it was an advantage to Nigeria’s democracy.

“What advantage age has to do is that Nigerians should not expect a sleeping House this time because of our age.

“We have seen that in the past and no Lawmaker is expected to do same, especially with the kind of vision that our Speaker has brought on board.

“In the next couple of days, he is going to unveil his legislative agenda and I believe with the over 350 votes which he garnered at the poll, it will be very easy for us to assimilate, digest and understand this legislative blueprint”, he said.

Agbese also commended President Bola Tinubu on the reforms across the various sectors of the economy, saying that necessary questions must be asked about what happened to the fuel subsidy funds in the last 8 years.

“Tinubu has begun reforms in the petroleum sector, the security sector and even in the economy.

“I agree with the removal of fuel subsidy. For us just to remove subsidy is not enough, we must provide palliative at one end and at another end we must ask questions what took all these monies in the last eight years.

“If we have all agreed that the existence of the fuel subsidy in the last eight years was actually a fraud, what happened to our money, Nigerians are asking”, the lawmaker said.