‎BY AHMED AKANBI

‎Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has called on members of the National Assembly to rise above partisan interests and place the nation’s welfare at the centre of their legislative decisions.

‎Sani, who made the call on Tuesday while speaking at the National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, said history will remember lawmakers not for the number of bills they sponsor, but for the principled positions they take on issues of national importance.

‎The annual initiative is designed to strengthen transparency, accountability and citizens’ engagement with the legislature by giving the public direct access to parliamentary activities.

‎Addressing serving lawmakers, Sani urged them to appreciate the weight of the offices they occupy and the lasting impact their decisions could have on future generations.

‎”For those of us who aspire to be in parliament, this is an important event in our lives. We will not be remembered by the laws we passed. We will not be remembered by the oversight functions we performed.

‎”We will not even be remembered simply because we won elections and served here. We will be remembered for the positions we took on matters of controversy and issues that were sensitive to our nation.

‎”There are thousands who served before us and have left, and there will be many more after us. We will not always be here, but our children and future generations will remember us by the mark we made in this parliament,” he said.

‎The former lawmaker also charged legislators to defend Nigeria’s image at all times.

‎”Nigeria is a great country, and we should be proud of it. Whenever people try to criminalise our country, you must stand tall and defend the dignity and integrity of Nigeria,” he admonished.