The House of Representatives has resumed plenary after two months of recess.
Addressing members, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila called on them to be more serious considering the limited time they have left in the legislative year.
He said, “he was delighted to welcome them back to the House of Representatives to do the people’s business.”
” Honourable Colleagues, in a few days, the campaign for the 2023 general elections will officially commence. Already, activities towards the campaign are in high gear with consultations and outreach by candidates and incumbents across the country. This is normal, and it is expected. However, those of us who hold office must endeavour to deliver on the mandate we hold for the duration of our term. So, we must strike a balance as we campaign, because we have a 4-year mandate,” Gbajabiamila said.
He also said that “the 9th House of Representatives because of the commitments it made in its legislative agenda, must ensure that it lives up to those pledges because it will be assessed on that basis whether they like it or not.”
He noted that on the authority of Order 18(3)(g) of the House Rules, he had instructed the Committee on Rules and Business to discharge all priority bills pending in the various committees beyond the allotted time.
The Speaker named the priority bills to include; legislation to implement essential reforms to our national security architecture, bills that aim to effect needed reforms of critical government institutions, as well as others that seek to improve our national ability to meet human capital development targets.
Gbajabiamila said; “We have very little time left to finish the work we have been called to do in this Assembly. There is much left to do, and we cannot turn our attention to those whilst we have pending tasks to deliver. I urge all the Chairmen of the standing and ad-hoc committees to act promptly on pending bills and motions, conclude the activities of ad-hoc committees and submit their reports for consideration and subsequent action. Please take all proper and necessary measures to clear the backlog of assignments before the schedule becomes even more encumbered by budget activities and the pressures of the campaign season.”
The Speaker also said that it has become necessary for the House to intervene in the extended faceoff between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.
He said; “This current impasse is due primarily to disagreements over conditions of service of the staff and funding of universities in general. Therefore, alongside the leadership of the House and the relevant committees, I will meet with representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Our agenda is to explore whatever options there are for parliament to help resolve the present crises so that our children can return to school. It is long established that access to education, more than anything else, is key to unlocking prosperity and improving social mobility outcomes in any society. And we all agree that government has a role in ensuring that our nation’s young people get a quality education that allows them to compete and thrive in the 21st-century knowledge economy. Yet, evidence abounds that the current framework of government-sponsored tertiary education is no longer working as it should and hasn’t worked for a long time. Our immediate goal is to do everything to get our children back to school.
“However, the time has also come to begin a candid assessment of the current system and to consider all available options for complete reform. We owe this to our children and our nation’s future.”
The Speaker noted that “while insecurity continues to be a scourge across Nigeria,” We have recently recorded significant victories against the purveyors of violence and conflict across the country. In the North East, North West, and North Central, men and women of our nation’s Armed Forces have neutralised scores of bandits and insurgents, taken out the heads of different cells, destroyed their training camps and significantly disrupted their ability to organise against the peace and security of the Nigerian people. I salute the courage and gallantry of our fighting men and women. I assure them that this House will continue to do all we can to support them and honour their sacrifice”.
Gbajabiamila also commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) which has made significantly increased interdiction efforts across the country and at all ports of entry.
He said; “These efforts have resulted in record-breaking seizures of banned substances at the ports and inner cities. I commend these efforts and urge the Agency to continue doing this vital work. We cannot afford to have our country overrun by the cancer of the drug trade and the devastation it brings. Therefore, all of us, both in our official and personal capacities, must become soldiers in the war on drugs.
We will continue to support the work of law enforcement to identify and apprehend the promoters of the trade and block their trade routes. We will consider policy interventions to ensure that the administration of justice recognises and reflects the critical distinction between victims and the kingpins who profit from the misery of the drug trade. But we must also ask ourselves what is causing so many young people to embrace the drug trade or become users themselves. How we answer that question will ultimately determine whether we will win this fight or be defeated by it.”
Gbajabiamila said that due to theft and various acts of economic sabotage, Nigeria is experiencing a massive decline in the volume of crude oil exports.
He said; “Our crude oil export of 972,394 for August is the lowest we have recorded in the last two decades. At a time when we are already experiencing severe financial constraints, the perpetrators of this brazen heist threaten our ability to serve the Nigerian people and meet the demands of governance and nation-building. Their actions constitute treason against our country, for which they must be held accountable. There are mechanisms in place to prevent these sorts of bad actors, and the government spends significant amounts of money each year to protect oil and gas resources in the country. The existing arrangements do not suffice. As such, there is an urgent need to review them and make the necessary improvements. It is also of particular importance that the perpetrators of these crimes against the state are identified, prosecuted and subjected to the stiffest penalties the law allows. Those who seek to impoverish our country in this manner have declared war against the Nigerian people. They are no different from the insurgents and terrorists against whom we are battling in various theatres. The government’s response must be sufficient to convince them of the error of their ways and deter others who might be tempted to join in their treason”.
The Speaker also apologised to members for resuming plenary in makeshift Chambers following the ongoing renovation of the main Chambers of the House of Representatives and National Assembly as a whole.
The Speaker added that the House hopes to receive the 2023 Appropriations Bill from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari in the first week of October.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
