Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has urged Nigerians to be resilient in the face of the current hardship in the country, saying 2017 will bring succour to their sufferings.

In a New Year message to Nigerians, issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, the Speaker assured that some positive results of the new policies and initiatives of the present government will begin to manifest in the New Year leading to an improved quality of life for the citizens.

Dogara said: “The All Progressives Congress government of President Muhammad Buhari is fully aware of the hardship faced by Nigerians. As members of the same government, we can assure that in the New Year, succour will come the way of our people as we work to provide long lasting solutions to the myriad of problems.

“On our part, the National Assembly shall also go to work as the central institution of democracy through which the will of the people is expressed. As parliamentarians we cannot afford to be observers or mere onlookers but actors. Our work is more urgent now than ever before because the change we seek must not be anchored on the quick sands of expediency but on the enduring solid rock of legislative frameworks that deal with corruption, eliminates gender based violence, strengthens democratic institutions, reinforces human rights and good governance. We shall also not fail the nation in ensuring effective scrutiny of the National government for effective implementation of all legislative frameworks especially the 2017 budget.

“Be assured that the House of Representatives is not resting on its oars to pass legislation that will provide support for the actualisation of the lofty ideas of the change promised by this government.”

The Speaker also urged Nigerians to keep praying and working hard for the peace, unity and prosperity of the country.