Speaker of the 9th House of
Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has assured Nigerians that the House would
not be a rubber stamp.
In his acceptance speech after
emerging victorious as the Speaker, Gbajabiamila said there would be reform in
the House.
He said: “It is my honour and
pleasure to address you today as the duly elected Speaker of the 9th House of
Representatives. No greater honour can be done a man than to be elected by his
peers as their leader and standard bearer. This is the honour you have given me
today and from the bottom of my heart I say thank you.
“I thank Mr President, my Party
leaders and colleagues across Party lines for the confidence reposed in me. I
thank my wife and family for putting up with my long hours and being absent
over the months but most importantly I thank the Almighty Allah for I see his
thumb and footprints all over from the moment this campaign started.
“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.
“The Contest for the Speakership
of this 9th Assembly is now over and its time to move on. Our country is
presently confronted with a myriad of problems and it is our responsibility as
members of this institution to set aside political, ideological and other
differences that may distract us from the assignment the Nigerian people have
sent us here to perform. There’s a lot more that unite us than divide us.
“There is much work to be done
and we must now pull together, roll up our sleeves, settle down and attend to
the peoples business. 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. It
is this message of unity and coming together that informed the theme of our
campaign…NATION BUILDING, A JOINT TASK.
“We have decided to carry this
theme into the operations of the 9th Assembly. As you can see, the logo, which
embodies all parties represented in the House, will be displayed permanently
behind the Speakers chair for all to see and as a constant reminder of what
this Assembly is all about. We must remain one nation bound in freedom, peace
and unity. Our vision is very simple, and that is to use the legislative
platform and the instrumentality of the law to make Nigeria a better and more
perfect union.
“My deputy Hon Ahmed Idris and I
come with a cumulative 30-year legislative experience which we intend to deploy
in making our vision a reality. It was Winston Churchill that said “we make a
living by what we get but we make by what we give a life”.. I found those words
very profound and Hon Wase and I intend to have fulfillment through what we
will be giving for the next 4 years.
“There comes a time in the life
and history of a people when they interrogate the past and present, review past
sacrifices, miscalculations and errors and collectively decide to opt for
change, peace and progress. We are at such a moment in this country. Hon
Colleagues of the 9th Assembly this is our time, this is our moment and history
beckons.
“The 9th Assembly under my
leadership is going to be a House of reforms or if you like a reform Assembly.
The reforms will be dished out piecemeal and at intervals so as not to shock
the system. Moving forward therefore my dear colleagues, it will not be
business as usual and we will be shaking the table just a little. We will be
introducing various reforms that will reposition this institution but please
rest assured that they will be for the greater good. On our shoulders lie the
responsibility of working together as a House to safeguard the future of our
great country. The House must be reformed before the country can be reformed We
simply cannot and must not fail.
“In this regard and so as to
quickly hit the ground running, I am announcing the appointment of Hon Sanusi
Rikiji the former Speaker of Zamfara State as my Chief of Staff. Hon Sanusi
comes with a wealth of legislative experience and I believe his inclusion in
this Assembly will add immense value.
“Hon Colleagues there’s much work
to be done in such little time. Lets roll our sleeves and get to work.
Nigerians are waiting. God bless you all”.
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