The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has made a strong case for deliberate action towards the preservation of institutional memory in the National Assembly for a vibrant legislature

Ndume, who was elected member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2011, was elected senator in 2011 and has been re-elected for the third consecutive time.

While making his contribution at the Senate valedictory session, yesterday, he said: “We have done all we could, we have cooperated that much, but can we say we have succeeded when 75 per cent of us are not returning.

“When the new senators come in, there would be no handover notes to them. They are going to start afresh; we are bound to start afresh. 

“I will be a stranger during the 10th National Assembly because only 25 per cent senators are returning. 75 per cent of us are not coming back, not because we don’t want to or that we don’t deserve to come back.”

Ndume, who seemed to be on the same page with those advocating for the Senate to be scrapped, asked rhetorically, what the essence of the upper legislative chamber, if there is no institutional memory 

“This is something that we should really consider because the institution is going down. We are saying the Senate is important. But what is the use of the Senate when the content of the Senate is vague? 

“We have been here for a very long time from 2003 till date. The Senate President came in since 1999. 
“This is an institution. The President of America was in the Senate for 35 years. That institution will grow. The President of the Senate of America is the Vice President and the Senate President protempo is the most senior. 

“This is the importance of experience but here we are starting all over again. Anyway, I came here to apologise, you know me very well. 

“We have been here for four years and then some people called me the rebel leader and all that. But it is okay because in every system you must have such persons. 

“I am going to miss all of you. I am going to make a request; these gentlemen and ladies that are not coming back are very important resource to Nigerians.

“They should be incorporated. We should ensure that our colleagues who are resourceful are useful to this country. They should be called back to serve in various capacities, especially now when we have the leadership in the hands of legislators.  

Another senator, James Manager, who spent 20 years in the Senate, said he was never a counselor or a member of the House of Representatives but has been in the Senate since 2003, saying it was an emotive privilege for him. 

“To God be the glory that today I am here for the number of years I was in active service, I am a freeman, this is the work of the Almighty God, it is not my making. I walked into this place a very healthy man and I am leaving a very healthy man 

“I want to thank my people, the Delta South people for tolerating me for 20 years. My people Ijaw people, my maternal people the Isoko people, Itsekiri people, Urhobo people. 

“My senatorial district is very complicated. They continued to elect me and re-elect me for 20 years and when I said I was no longer contesting that was when they decided to leave me.”