The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Gbajabiamila

  • Gbajabiamila: No amount of falsehood can stop Tinubu’s wheel of good governance – Group

    Gbajabiamila: No amount of falsehood can stop Tinubu’s wheel of good governance – Group

    A policy group in Nigeria has rejected claims that the law license of Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu was suspended by the State of Georgia because of fraud.

    The Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability (COCTA) in a statement by Comrade Haruna Okatahi, Director of Strategic Communications, on Wednesday, noted that Gbajabiamila stopped practising law in Georgia because he returned to Nigeria to serve his constituency and the country.

    The group added the allegation against the former Speaker of the House of Representatives was a figment of the imagination of those seeking to destabilise the country.

    “The attention of the Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability has been drawn to a malicious report obviously intended to cast aspersion on the character of the person of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rt Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila.

    “Allegedly, Gbajabiamila’s license to practice as a lawyer in the American state of Georgia has been rescinded by the State Bar because of fraudulent acts and other contraventions.

    “Our response to this malicious claim is basically to set the records straight so that the public is not misinformed, especially the lovers of democracy. Rt Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, who was the former speaker of the House of Representatives, was a vibrant lawmaker who led the most rancour-free house since the advent of the fourth republic.”

    COCTA added: “The report claims that Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was barred from practising law in the United States of America because he allegedly stole an unspecified amount of money from a client. A similar publication was circulated in the past but his detractors failed in their bid to tarnish his political image even then.

    Read Also: I became politician by accident, says Obasanjo

    “Now, having been appointed as the Chief of Staff to the president, he has become the target of these agents of distraction just to mud-sling against his hard-earned reputation. We urge these merchants of falsehood to desist from such and allow the formidable team being set up by Mr. President to focus on their jobs in order to deliver Nigeria from the economic quagmire that she finds herself in.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the character of Honourable Gbajabiamila is not in doubt in any way as his constituency elected him for the record sixth time before being appointed by the President to serve as his Chief of Staff. We wonder why such a revelation is coming at such a time when he has been elevated to such an esteemed position that is pivotal to the success of the #RenewedHope administration.”

    COCTA urged the Tinubu administration to continue with its ongoing reforms. “We see this as nothing but the deliberate orchestration of mischief makers determined to drag his good name into the mud and distract him from his divine mission of assisting Mr President in the arduous task of coordinating good governance in the country.

    “Hon. Gbajabiamila is a man of exceptional pedigree and of the highest professional standards, a factor that helped him earn the trust of Mr President as well as his colleagues in the past dispensation as the Speaker of the then ninth House of Representatives.

    “Such piece of information is not enough to overshadow the good works of one of the most eminent of personalities and we of the Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability, have chosen to stand by him and urge his traducers and detractors to abandon such a quest as it does not hold water is dead on arrival.

    “Mr President is a man of extraordinary wisdom and comprehends exceptionally the many plots of political opponents as he has circumvented many in his political ascendancy, so we expect him to overlook this last one and focus on delivering on his mandate of renewed hope as promised.”

  • Gbajabiamila, Sanwo-Olu, Adebule mourn Oniru

    House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu have condoled with the family of Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru,  the Oniru of Iruland in Lagos State

    Oba Oniru, aged 82, died about 11 am on Monday in Lagos after a brief illness.

    Gbajabiamila said Oba Oniru would be remembered for his fatherly role and commitment to the development of Iruland.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker described the monarch’s death as painful at a time his advice and guidance were needed.

    Gbajabiamila said: “I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of our late royal father. His death came to me as a shock, but I take solace in the exemplary life that he lived and the legacies that he left behind.

    “Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru was a father to all. He was a peace loving man, who did his best to make his people happy. I wish to commiserate with the government and the people of Lagos State, particularly the subjects… over this great and irreparable loss.”

    Governor Sanwo-Olu, through his twitter handle @jidesanwoolu, commiserated with the family.

    He tweeted: “On behalf of the government and people of Lagos, I commiserate with the Oniru Royal Family on the transition of …Oba Idowu Oniru, who joined his forebears. His service to the state and country… will remain his enduring legacy…”

    Former Lagos State Deputy Governor Idiat Oluranti Adebule described Oniru as a great monarch, saying he was a peace-loving monarch.

    “He was always bringing people together to live in peace and harmony. He demonstrated a great passion for the development of Lagos State. He was indeed a peace-maker,” she said.

    The Waziri Nupe, Senator Isa Mohammed, also condoled with the royal family.

    Senator Mohammed prayed to God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

    “My family and I wish to commiserate with you and the entire Oniru Royal family on the passing away of Oba Abiodun Idowu Oniru, the 14th Oniru of Iruland, Victoria Island, Lagos.  May Allah grant him peaceful repose, mercy, forgiveness, eternal rest and reward him with Al-Jannah Firdaus. May Allah also be with you and the children and grant you the strength and fortitude to bear this great loss,” he said.

    Chairman of Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Princess Rasheedat Abiodun Adu, described the late monarch as a great father.

    Princess Adu said Oba Oniru’s reign brought greater development to Iruland and its environs.

    “Kabiyesi’s reign ushered in unprecedented political and socio-economic development to Iruland and beyond. The late monarch’s demonstration of integrity is matchless,” she said.

    Wife of former Chairman of Iru-Victoria LCDA, Chief Funmilayo Daramola, hailed the late Oniru as a great monarch.

    Chief Daramola, the Alaje Wura of Iruland, said: “Kabiyesi was truly a great person. He was a nice man, who was after the development of the community and Lagos state as a whole. He sacrificed a lot to ensure Iru-Victoria Island is developed.”

    Oba Oniru succeeded his father in 1995. He was born on September 6, 1937, as the 12 of the 15 children of the long-reigning Oba Yesufu Oniru, who died at the age of 120 years.

    The royal family yesterday released the funeral programmes.

    It will start with the Third Day Muslim prayer today at the palace. Christian prayer holds tomorrow.

    On Sunday, the Seventh Day prayer, the Ije, will take place.

    The following Sunday, a programme called Erinla will hold at the palace.

    The late Oba Oniru attended St David’s Primary School and Araromi Baptist School on Lagos Island and Eko Boys High School.

    In 1965, he left Nigeria to study civil engineering at the British Institute of Engineering Technology in Slough.

    He returned to Nigeria in 1968 to join his father to run the family business.

     

  • Gbajabiamila on peace mission to trouble spots

    Insurgency, banditry, killings and kidnappings, which spurred the decimation and displacement of the Nigerian population and the economy have always been of great concern to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    The Speaker, even as a first-term member in 2003, vowed not to rest until he contributes his modest quota towards lasting solutions to these inimical challenges. That was the reason behind his drive for people-centered legislation and policies, which he took on as a challenge, with a conviction to give it an added drive, if he ever found himself in the position to drive decisions making.

    Few among the bills targeted at the generality of Nigerians irrespective of gender, ethnic or religious affiliation include: Bill to penalize airlines over cancellation of flights (2013), Constitution alteration bill to accommodate States and community policing (2018), Estimated Billing Bill (8th Assembly), Bill to criminalize late/non-payment of wages (2019), Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment Bill 2019) and Physically challenged (Empowerment) Bill (2019).

    On assumption of office as the Speaker of the 9th House, Gbajabiamila found it imperative to make the plight of the common man a priority, and this, among other reasons, accounted for the fact-finding and on-the-spot assessment visits to areas affected by insurgency, banditry and other crimes that have displaced people from their homes, while dislocating their economy and that of their states.

    Read Also: Kudos for Gbajabiamila on NDDC Committee Chair

    He began the peace tour from Zamfara State on July 14, 2019, and followed it up with another one to Borno State on July 30, less than three days after bomb blasts that claimed more than 60 lives. Why take on this enormous task despite the physical security risk involved, coupled with the knowledge that the resolutions and recommendations emanating from the Legislature are advisory and not binding on the Executive?

    In Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, the Speaker told the gathering, which had in attendance Governor Bello Matawalle, the state cabinet, traditional rulers, factions of insurgents groups and displaced persons that “All the years that many of us have been in the House of Representatives, we bring up issues concerning security and insecurity in Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria, Zamfara inclusive.

    He said: “We argue these issues, we debate these issues, and we come up with resolutions that we feel might help in resolving the issues. But alas! Over the years, all these frantic efforts end on the rinky-dink. Our arguments, our debates are based on what we read on newspaper reports, what we see on television and what we hear. They are not based on actual assessment on the ground. They are not based on the interaction with the stakeholders that are here today. Since seeing is believing, we decided for the first time in the history of this nation that the House of Representatives would be here with the presiding officers to get the real facts based on-ground assessment, not on hearsay, not on newspapers report, not on TV reports, but from interaction, interfacing with stakeholders and having a proper assessment of what is happening in Zamfara State. With the view of going back to the National Assembly, the seat of power, and getting government intervention and making recommendations based on that assessment to government.”

    The trip was not a jamboree. With the determination to take the message back to Mr. President, Gbajabiamila was equally resolute to secure commitments from all the stakeholders that peace should be given a chance for the benefit of the people and the development of the state so ravaged by insurgency. “What we’re going to be talking about is solutions and where the government can intervene. How do we move forward? I believe it’s a question of doing the right thing, at the right time. First and foremost, resettlement, allowing everybody to live in peace,” the Speaker assured.

    One of the solutions, the Speaker said, is to develop the three senatorial districts in the state alongside the state government. He said: “So, here’s the deal, for me on my part and on the part of the House of Representatives, we shall give you and devote sizable amount of resources to the senatorial district in Zamfara State for peace. We will ensure that we deploy security forces which are needed to cater for the citizens of Zamfara State. Without security forces, we’re not going to achieve much; the ratio of security men to citizens not just in Zamfara state, everywhere in Nigeria does not come close to international best practices.

    “I speak on behalf of the House, having discussed with the leadership of the Senate, I took my time to inform the President about this trip. He’s aware that I’m coming here. So I stand here as a symbol of authority, not just for the House but for the government. The President is fully in support. He’s concerned. He is committed to peace for those of you who know him. He’s committed to peace, he is committed to finding lasting solutions to the problems of banditry or whatever we face and not just here in Zamfara State but in other parts of Nigeria. Maybe Zamfara State will be a case study or test run, but this is going to be extended to every other part in Nigeria.”

    The high point of the visit was the release of six hostage victims to the Speaker by bandit leaders. He also made a contribution of trailer loads of food materials to the affected victims.

    In less than three days after the last bomb blast in Maiduguri that claimed more than 60 lives, and despite the risk, the Speaker saw no reason to defer his peace reconciliation trip to Maiduguri. In the afternoon of Tuesday, July 30, 2019, Gbajabiamila and his colleagues were in Maiduguri, the state capital of Borno to assess the extent of the damages hauled on the once very peaceful State.

    Accompanied by the Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu, Chief Whip Muhammad Monguno and others, the Speaker expressed his concern over the plight of the future generations languishing in the various internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps across the Northeast region, saying: “It is our responsibility as a government to make sure that the almost 42,000 that inhabit this camp are gradually reduced and resettled back to their families and their homes in a no-too-distant future. We are here to give encouragement on the little succor we can as government and to see what we can do using the instrumentality of the law to make sure that issues that concern internally displaced persons.”

    Besides speaking the mind of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Speaker assured that laws that would comprehensively address the security challenges facing the country would be put in place. “As a National Assembly, and as a government, it is important that we deal with that situation. That’s why we’re here today to make sure that all is well. All can never be well if anybody is living in a camp; to make sure that as best as possible, government plays its role in making sure the welfare of those who are in camps is taken care of.

    “Constitutionally, the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of its people. These are our people, and we must make sure that they’re well taken care of. If you see me, if you see the House, then you see the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I want you to take it away. I stand here as the Speaker of the House, but we’re one government. The president is aware that I’m here. We’re one government, and we speak with one voice. Whatever is comes under my voice, is coming from Mr. President.”

    For Speaker Gbajabiamila, this is just the beginning of the several interventions that the 9th House under his leadership would come up with to better the lives of Nigerians.

    • Anofi is an aide on Print Media to Speaker Gbajabiamila.

  • Reps to probe Gogo, others for attempted mace-snatching

    The House of Representatives is to investigate the cause of the commotion that led to an attempt to snatch the mace on Wednesday following the announcement of the principal officers of the minority parties.

    This is even as Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila warned that the resolve of the House should not be tested by aggrieved members, who he said ought to know how to seek redress through due process, as laid down in the House rules.

    The Speaker’s warning came after series of interruptions in the name of point of order by Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers).

    The Speaker told the lawmaker to take his appropriate seat in the chamber.

    Complaints by the Chinda-led group began with the lawmaker occupying the seat allocated to the Minority Leader in the front row.

    After the Speaker settled in his seat and approved the votes and proceedings for the previous legislative day, where Ndudi Elumelu and others were selected as Minority principal officers, which attracted applause and shouts of Gbaja! Gbaja!! from the floor, Chinda raised a point of order.

    But Gbajabiamila did not allow him to speak.

    The lawmaker made other attempts but the Speaker did not allow him.

    The Speaker implored the House to be mindful of Orders 9 and 10

    While Order 9 borders on rules of debates and behaviour of members in the House, Order 10 is about order in the House during debates and how the Speaker is to be heard in silence, contempt in the face of the House as well as the powers vested in the Speaker dealing with erring members at plenary or committee meetings.

    Chinda immediately raised a point of order and the Speaker promptly replied: “Without asking you for your point of order, you are overruled.

    “I will not hear you; you are not in your allocated seat. There are allocated seats. You won’t be recognized until you take your appropriate seat.

    “Please, let me make it clear: I’m pleading; please, do not test the resolve of this House or you will have cause to regret”.

    Benjamin Kalu (Abia), relying on Order 6 (19)(b), said the event of Wednesday, where an attempt was made to snatch the mace, left him terrified and traumatized because it was the least he expected from his colleagues, especially ranking members.

    “That was an attempt to destroy the integrity of this House,” he said while praying that the matter and the instigator, Gogo Bright (PDP, Rivers), be investigated with a view to preventing a reoccurrence.

    His submission was met with applause from the floor.

    Read Also: Wike abolishes user-fees for treatment of persons living with HIV/AIDS

    Gbajabiamila said Kalu’s submission was comprehensive enough by capturing everything that occurred on the day.

    The Speaker referred the motion to the Ethics and Privileges Committee, when constituted.

    Tajudeen Yusuf (PDP, Kogi) followed with his own point order that the votes and proceedings approved by Mr Speaker did not contain the list of the members who selected Elumelu.

    Gbajabiamila ruled that the point of order was noted.

    Chinda attempted another point of order for recognition and the Speaker replied: “You will not be heard until you are on your seat.”

    Another member on Chinda’s side, Mark Gbilah (PDP, Benue), raised a point of order that the Speaker breached his privilege by his remarks of threat.

    The Speaker cut him short that he should endeavour to understand the meaning of and difference between threat and warning.

    He then urged his colleagues to allow the business of the day to progress.

    “We are not going to spend the whole day on point of order. Let’s move on,” Gbajabiamila added.

    Also, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has summoned Elumelu.

    Others House members the party summoned are: Wole Oke, Ms. Lynda Ikpeazu, Anayo Edwin, Gideon Gwadi, Toby Okechukwu and Adekoya Abdul-Majid.

    They were ordered to report today at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja at 10 a.m.

    The party’s decision to summon the lawmakers was contained in a statement yesterday by the party’s spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan.

    The summons, which was issued after a marathon NWC meeting, states that they are to meet the leadership in a “crucial meeting”.

    “The summons is in line with the provisions of Chapter 10 (57)(3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”, the statement said.

    Elumelu became Minority Leader to displace Kingsley Chinda, who is said to be the party’s choice.

    Similarly, the party’s choice for Deputy Minority Leader; Minority Whip; Deputy Minority Whip were upturned as candidates in Elumelu camp emerged ended up gapping the positions.

    Also, the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubril, who embraced Elumelu’s emergence on Wednesday, made a U-turn yesterday.

    Jubril had endorsed and congratulated Elumelu, who visited him at home after his election.

    But addressing reporters yesterday, Jubril said he endorsed Elumelu in error, adding that he was deceived into believing that the lawmaker was the choice of the party’s leadership.

    “I stand with the decision of the National Working Committee of our party on the House of Representatives minority leadership position. I was made to believe that Elumelu was the choice of the party,” he said.

  • Gbajabiamila: The ‘Speaking Speaker’ at 57

    Fifty-seven years ago, precisely on June 25, 1962, a star, a man of high intellect, a repository of legislative knowledge in person of Rt. Hon. Femi Hakeem Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives was born.

    Gbaja, as he is called by friends, associates and well-wishers, is a man that has a date with destiny. Today is exactly two weeks that this GREAT MIND became the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, in what has become the greatest, remarkable and most befitting cum historic way of marking one’s birthday on mother earth.

    When Gbajabiamila first came to the Green Chamber 16 years ago, in 2003, little did he know he would spend more than a quarter of his life in the legislature. Out of those 16 solid years, Gbajabiamila spent 14years  as a principal officer, first as a Minority Whip from 2005 to 2007, Minority Leader (Opposition Leader) from 2007 to 2015 and later as Leader of the House/Majority Leader between 2015 and 2019.

    It was then natural that Gbaja should become speaker after acquiring more than enough experience in the House as one of its leaders for 16 years. In the history of the Nigerian Legislature, Gbajabiamila is the first person to have risen from the position of Minority Leader to Majority Leader and then to Speaker all in a space of 16 years. This is by no means a great feat. His legislative prowess certainly confers on him the title of ‘Legislative Czar’ in the Nigerian parliament.

    As Minority Leader of the House for eight years, Gbajabiamila provided the needed voice for the opposition, and each time he spoke, it was as if an ordinary Nigerian was on the floor of the House speaking, because he spoke the minds of the masses.

    After Gbajabiamila became the Leader of the House in 2015, he did not relent in defending and presenting the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians, despite being saddled with the responsibility of defending the position of the government of the day.

    No wonder Gbajabiamila single-handedly came up with a Bill to criminalise estimated billing by electricity distribution companies (Discos), which has arguably become one of the most popular draft laws in the 8th Assembly. History will indeed be kind to this lover of the Nigerian masses.

    Make no mistake about it, Gbajabiamila had qualified to become Speaker over four years ago. After his historic contest to occupy the Number 4 Citizen’s seat in 2015, which should have been ceded to him naturally without any contest, Gbaja went on with his life as if nothing happened. He left everything to God and believed that our Creator did not will that he would be Speaker at that time.

    Call him a workaholic, and you won’t be wrong because Gbajabiamila isn’t a lazy fellow. Despite being a principal officer for 14years, he remains one of the most resourceful lawmakers that have journeyed the House. Matter of factly speaking, Gbajabiamila served, and still serves, as an unpaid consultant to many of his colleagues. Before he presents any matter on the floor of the House, he makes sure that he researches it thoroughly, which explains why he never fails as a lawmaker.

    To say that Gbaja became a household name all over Nigeria long before his present status in the House is to state the obvious. Despite all that he has achieved as a fine legislator, he never let it get into his head, which is what his upbringing is all about.

    But if his campaign for speaker gathered strong momentum four years ago, the one he embarked on after the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 23 this year was a masterstroke. Yes, it was a masterstroke because it had everybody on board: lawmakers from both the ruling and the opposition parties did not only buy the idea, they also took it upon themselves to sell the idea to all members of the 9th House. No wonder Gbajabiamila polled 281 votes, which is unprecedented in the history of speakership contest in the House.

    The slogan for his campaign for speaker ‘Nation Building: A Joint Task’ captured all that Gbajabiamila stood, and still stands for, which is that every Nigerian, irrespective of party affiliations, must be on board for the country to move forward.

    Unassuming, chivalrous, accommodating, sincere, humble, courteous, adaptable, adventurous, affectionate, amiable, intuitive, dependable, easy-going, compassionate, courageous, considerate, diligent, frank, charming, generous, gregarious, impartial, inventive, reliable, resourceful, sympathetic, name it, Gbajabiamila fits the bill for a perfect gentleman. Unfortunately, he is often misunderstood by some, which is normal with human beings. But those that relate with him closely know that he represents all the adjectives above. And I am pretty sure that those that misunderstood him would now have the opportunity of knowing him better as he pilots the affairs of the House in the next four years.

    Immediately after becoming speaker two weeks ago, Gbajabiamila made it clear that his would be a House of reforms. Though he promised to ‘shake the table’ in bringing reforms to the House, he said it would be in phases in order not to bring too much shock into the system. If not a man of intellect, who would make such move?

    During his inaugural speech on that auspicious occasion of his emergence as Speaker on June 11, Gbajabiamila did not mince words. He said: “Hon Colleagues, I understand that I hold this office in trust for you and Nigerians. Conscious of this sacred trust, I hereby dedicate myself to the service of this Honourable House and of the good citizens of this great country, with the commitment that I shall at all times strive to defend the constitution of our Republic.

    “I equally commit myself to always observe the tenets of justice, equity and fairness in my dealings with my colleagues, and to apply the ideals of transparency, probity and accountability in my management of the affairs of this Honourable House.

    “Whatever political party each one of us may belong, we must be conscious of the fact that Nigerians are truly desirous of good governance and are looking to us to be the agents that will through meaningful legislation combat security, poverty, corruption and other problems and contradictions that have held our country back and stunted our development.”

    To show that he knows the nature of the Herculean task ahead of him, Gbajabiamila has since set in place the machinery of how to go about his reforms. I believe very soon, Nigerians will have the privilege of seeing that unveiled to them.

    At the age of 57, Gbajabiamila has achieved a lot both as a lawyer, who practised both within and outside the shores of Nigeria, and a legislator per excellence. But hey, the man never blows his trumpet! Because he represents excellence, Gbajabiamila doesn’t accept anything short of that.

    As Mr Speaker marks his 57th birthday today, I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that he has acquired more wisdom to lead the 9th House of Representatives and bring the right reforms in the next four years as he promised. Once again, Happy Birthday Mr Speaker, Sir!

    • Smart is of the Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Abuja.

  • We will perform better than eighth NASS — Gbajabiamila

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, on Sunday said Nigerians should expect better service delivery from the ninth National Assembly.

    Gbajabiamila gave the commitment in Lagos while speaking at a reception dinner organised for him by the state government.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner was attended by prominent personalities including Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau State.

    National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba; and a former governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajumobi, were also among those present.

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, were with Gbajabiamila to receive guests at the dinner.

    The Speaker said though the eighth National Assembly did its best, Nigerians expected the ninth one to surpass the achievements of the last assembly.

    He promised that the new assembly would do better than the eighth assembly and would meet the expectations of Nigerians.

    The speaker said the new assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, would do things differently to get better results.

    Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that the new House would make hard work and commitment its watchwords in order to meet the aspirations of Nigerians.

    ”There is so much work to be done but little time to do it.We are going to work hard, we are going to do things differently.

    ”We can’t do a thing over and over again and get a different result. The ninth assembly is going to do things differently for the good of Nigerians.

    ”The eighth assembly did its best, but we will do better. We will do our best in the service in the service of the country.

    ”We started with a slogan nation-building is a joint task, it cannot be done by one person. The ninth assembly would work for the good of the country.

    ”We will put into practical terms the meaning of leadership; we are not just going to talk the talk, but we are going to walk the talk,” he said.

    Read Also: 9th Assembly: Can Lawan, Gbajabiamila deliver ‘change’?

    Gbajabiamila promised to be the speaker of all and not that of any particular region or state.

    He thanked the people of Lagos for electing him for a record fifth term in the House of Representatives, saying he would not take their support for granted.

    The speaker also thanked his family members and his colleagues in the House of Representatives for their consistent support.

    He said he was indebted to Tinubu for inspiring him politically and helping to nurture his career.

    Gbajabiamila said without Tinubu, he would not have gotten to where he was.

    The speaker said he found the narrative before the House leadership election that a vote him was giving the Speakership to Tinubu very ridiculous.

    He said those peddling that were doing so out of ignorance, as Tinubu only wanted the good of the country.

    Gbajabiamila thanked the state government for the reception dinner, saying he felt really loved by the gesture.

    Speaking, Sanwo-Olu described Gbajabiamila as a very cerebral and competent lawmaker.

    He said the state was proud to see him emerge as the Speaker of the ninth House of Representatives.

    The governor, while congratulating Gbajabiamila, said people expected so much from him.

    He urged him to use his office to better the lot of the people.

    NAN reports that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Ahmed Wase; Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin and other members of the lower chamber spoke in turns, highlighting the leadership qualities of Gbajabiamila.

    NAN

  • Gbajabiamila seeks cooperation to better Nigeria

    The Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Saturday, sought the support and cooperation of Nigerians on the need to move the country forward.  He said there was much work to be done.

    The Speaker gave the remarks at the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiola, during a courtesy visit, adding that he was in Lagos to thank the people for supporting him during the legislative years as a member of the House of Representatives.

    He explained that being the Speaker of the House would entail four years of hard work, commitment to the rule of law and dedication to solving the challenges of insecurity in the country.

    Gbajabiamila said the combination of his experience and that of the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, as lawmakers would serve as advantage in solving the problems facing the country.

    The Speaker said he would work with members of the House of Assembly to ensure that Lagos State property confiscated by the Federal Government is returned.

    Read Also: I will use my office to benefit Nigerians — Gbajabiamila

    He stressed that the House would equally ensure that other parts of the country facing similar challenges would be addressed.

    In his welcome remarks, Akiolu said the House and the country did not make a wrong choice in electing Gbajabiamila the Speaker of the House.

    According to him, the Speaker had all that it takes to make the country proud, noting that his leadership would work in the interest of the people.

    He urged Gbajabiamila to prevail on the Federal Government to release Lagos property excised by military fiat.

    He said: “When people started saying that the House will become a rubber stamp under Gbajabiamila, I said they did not understand. I know that God has given the House a brilliant Speaker, full of intelligence and wisdom.

    “I know the security challenges will take ample place in the House discussion. Again, not all the Fulani Herdsmen are bad, only a few of them who have been atrocious in their livelihood are hell bend in fomenting trouble in the country.”

  • Southwest APC urges Lawan, Gbajabiamila to perform

    The Southwest All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed delight over the election of Dr. Ahmed Lawan as Senate President of the Ninth Senate, urging him to promote cordial relations between the Executive and Legislature.

    The party also congratulated the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila,  and his deputy, Hon Wase, saying that Gbajabiamila presented a great hope for a leadership that will unleash his wealth of experience to build a responsible legislature.

    In a statement by the South West Zonal Publicity Secretary, Karounwi Oladapo, the party also congratulated the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.

    It said the APC had found brilliant partners in Lawan and Omo-Agege  that share the progressive ideals of APC to move Nigeria forward, while Gbajabiamila’ s antecedents in the House of Representatives over the years raised a great hope for a new Nigeria that places emphasis on character and competence to lead a huge country like Nigeria with her complexities.

    Oladapo said: “It is on record that for the first time in the nation’s political history, Gbajabiamila started as a member of the House of Representatives and later was the Minority Leader before he was elected Majority Leader in the Eighth Assembly only to now top it with the Speakership of the House.

    “It is particularly noteworthy that throughout the electioneering for the exalted office, the refrain was Gbajabiamila’s competence, brilliance, leadership qualities and commitment to the vision and ideals capable of evolving development  programmes  to build a new nation.

    “We also want to praise  his colleagues across party lines who believed that his vision should be a collective vision to take Nigeria to the Next Level.”

    While also praising members of other political parties for lending support for Lawan and Gbajabiamila’s emergence as leaders in both chambers of the National Assembly, the party expected that as the National Assembly settles down to work, national spirit will guide members’ conduct to make a difference in Nigerians’ thirst for development.

  • Gbajabiamila: Nation building is my priority

    House of Representatives member Femi Gbajabiamila is on tour of the six regions to canvass support for his ambition for Speaker. Correspondent DELE ANOFI reports.

    Nigeria’s cultural diversity, be it religious, political or ethnic differences has always been its greatest source of unity. This fact was succinctly displayed when the front runner for the office of the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Idris Wase, who is eyeing the Deputy Speaker took their campaign to the Southeast and Southsouth governors last week. These are two regions considered as the strong holds of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The results of successive general elections confirm their stance against the ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC). Notwithstanding this general notion, Gbajabiamila and Wase were pragmatic to make their aspiration to have a national with the belief that the legislative business they hope to lead is not for any section of the country or political party, but for Nigeria.

    Against this background, the Gbajabiamila/Wase Campaign Council did not only deemed it fit to embark on a nationwide consultation, but also do it with emphatic message of national unity, as symbolised by the theme of the campaign logo, ‘FGB, Our Joint Task’. The message of the national joint task was on display with 103 and later 112 members-elect embarking on the tour to canvas for support for the candidate of their choice. Once  the planes touched down in Enugu, the overstretched convoy took off in a carnival-like fashion to Ebonyi, where the delegation was received with grandeur, as in each of the next four States.

    The tour of the two regions, according to the Director-General (DG) of the  Gbajabiamila/Wase Campaign Council,  Abdulmumin Jibrin, was to seek the support of the region for the candidature of Gbajabiamila and Wase for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. “Our main objective and desire is to pick a team that can stand the test of time and we know we have to be here to solicit for your support. We know your strength and commitment to this country and principles of intra party relationship for the benefit of the country. We are here plead for support and assistant, not only to your members-elect but in every other States where your influence reaches that can help in establishing this project. We assure you that you won’t regret your time and commitment to the project,” he told the governor.

    Gbajabiamila told the governor that the support of the governor is paramount, while adding that “It is one thing to support but it is another to get the blessing, but I believe that by the time we leave here, we would have succeeded in getting your blessing. Our team comes with several years of experience through the offices we’ve held through the years”. He, however, emphasised that “We are not seeking the office for the sake of it, but seeking the office to contribute to using the legislature to better this country. Ours is for nation building, a joint task”.

    Gbajabiamila emphasised the import of the visit and its implication for the larger interest of the Nigeria, saying, “I know you as leader who doesn’t see things from narrow perspectives of ephemeral differences and that’s why this is our  first point call. It is our belief that the blessing we get from you will give us the push that will propel, encourage us, so that when we get to other places, we can always be proud to put that forward that based on the quality of the team, you decided to join. With your vibrant Ebonyi legislators, together we will take this country to the next level”.

    He also informed his hosts that the sheer large number of the entourage should be instructive, explaining that the 103 members-elect in the hall cutting across all geo-political zones and political parties bought into the vision of the Gbajabiamila/Wase team and made the trip on their own. “These lawmakers you see in this hall insisted on being on the trip and paid their ways and that is total commitment, to me,” he added.

    Umahi, the Chairman of Southeast Governors Forum, who addressed Gbajabiamila and Wase as incoming Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively,  disclosed that the project was neither new nor strange to him as he was well into it.  He disclosed that some people have spoken to him on the need to support Gbajabiamila prior to the visit. On the need for the Southeast to support the candidature of Gbajabiamila and Wase, the governor pointed out that “No section of the country can go it alone, we need one another for the survival of the country.”

    Next was Enugu State, where governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi hosted the delegation with pomp and ceremonies. His pledge to support the contestants was stamped with the delivery of the eight members-elect from the state to the Gbajabiamila/Wase’s team. The governor handed over the four members-elect, who were present at the consultation meeting to Gbajabiamila, while he made real-time phone calls in the presence of the delegation to the absentee four for the decision taken. It was like home-coming for Gbajabiamila because  Ugwuanyi, a former three-term House member, was a two-term Chairman House Committee on Marine, which Gbajabiamila was a member. The hospitality was total.

    In Anambra, Governor Willy Obiano did not mince words as he challenged the two aspirants and the lawmakers, who formed more than a quorum of a legislative session, to always prioritise issues about his state when they succeed in their quest for leadership.

    Obiano pledged the support of the 10 members-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the duo, while also disclosing that long before the visit, plans had been concluded to support the Gbajabiamila and Wase project. He noted that the decision was not difficult to make, having known  Gbajabiamila from way back as a person of integrity.

    In Imo State, Rochas Okorocha took the hospitality a notch further after which he promised to offer all needed support for the success of the Gbajabiamila and Wase as the presiding officers of the next Green Chamber. With the disclosure that he had been canvassing support for Gbajabiamila since he learnt of his Speakership aspiration, Okorocha assured that his conviction about the ability of the duo to reposition the House of Representatives for legislation that would benefit Nigerians was instrumental to the decision to impress the four legislators on the platform of his party to back the Gbajabiamila/Wase team..

    Okorocha also ensured that the delegation visited the Okorocha Foundation School of Africa where the students made a  presentation on the plight of the African child, raised with a mind of a united prosperous Africa and dance drama from the Ethiopian contingent of the school. So touching was the story of the kids and the inspiration behind the Foundation that Gbajabiamila even promised to return in not too distant future to teach the students as part of his regular outreach programme. When the School informed the guests that five slots have created for the best students in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in each of State of the Federation to study Medicine and Architecture on scholarship, Gbajabiamila could not help but say, “This is pure kindness, this is beyond education but selfless service to humanity and God will reward you. As for you students, though your beginning might be tragic, the end will surely end in praise.”

    In Port Harcourt, Campaign Council DG, Jibrin, admitted that Wike is a powerhouse in the Nigerian politics, which was the reason that brought the delegation to Rivers State. Gbajabiamila said Wike is a man he has deep respect for. “I know you wand true best for this country, a man of passion that brought same to the office,” he added.

    Wike, on his part, pointed out that his support for the duo of Gbajabiamila and Wase was neither based on party line nor ethnic considerations but solely on competence and merit. He expressed his appreciation of the effort and risk taken, traveling long distances to consider him worthy enough to be consulted and visited for a national issue such as this. He further urged Gbajabiamila to put Nigeria first when he emerges as the Speaker of the 9th House by June 11.

    Earlier, a former colleague and Deputy Speaker of the  6th House of Representatives, Mr Austin Opara, said having known and worked with Gbajabiamila over the years, he is able, capable and experienced enough to deliver a House of Representatives Nigerians would be proud of.

     

  • Why we’re backing Gbajabiamila, by Rep-elect

    HOUSE of Representative member-elect Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, yesterday affirmed the support of all 203 first timers’ in the Green Chamber for the ambition of House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila to become the Speaker in the Ninth House.

    Tunji-Ojo said he could confidently “assert the absolute loyalty of all the 203 ‘first timers’ in the House to the ambition of Gbajabiamila is never in doubt.”

    He said that all the 203 elected ‘first timers’ in the House of Representatives would not only strive for the emergence of Gbajabiamila, but would also insist on an open ballot for the election of presiding officers of the Ninth National Assembly in June.

    Tunji-Ojo said: “We are seriously agitating for open ballot. Our people should also be able to know our position on any national issue. It is ideal for the beauty of democracy and for the preservation of the hallowed chamber the open ballot should be given a place of priority in our process.”

    He said: “As the chairman of the First Timers Forum, I can confidently assure that all our 203 members are with Hon. Gbajabiamila. We have our records, strategy and obtained loyal commitment from members.

    “With all these, I am confident that Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is very much on course to become the Speaker of the Ninth House”.

    Tunji-Ojo spoke following a report that 156 House-member-elect had declared support for the member representing Chanchanga Federal Constituency of Niger State, Umaru Mohammed Bago to become Speaker.

    The meeting where the endorsement took place was said to have been held at a location in Gwarimpa, Abuja on May 18.

    He dismissed as untrue that Bago was gaining more support over Gbajabiamila, who is the preferred candidate of the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Tunji-Ojo said:  “Politics of who becomes the next Speaker of the House is favourably tilting towards the direction Gbajabiamila. Although, we are not leaving anything to chance and we will continue to reach out to those that are yet to join our camp. Be as it may, this for us, is a task that must be achieved.”