Nigeria’s House of Representatives has held a valedictory session in honour of the fourth Assembly Speaker, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, who died on Wednesday, December 27, 2023.
The session was presided over by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, with other members of the Green Chamber in attendance.
Members of the family of the late former Speaker, former Presiding Officers and Principal Officers of the House of Representatives, former legislators, as well as other invited dignitaries, were in attendance.
According to the tradition of the House of Representatives, when a former or sitting member dies, a valedictory session is held in honour of the deceased.
The House leader, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, moved the motion for the commencement of the valedictory session, and it was seconded by the minority leader, Kingsley Chinda.
In his speech, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, said that the House would continue to work with the president to ensure that the dividend of democracy is delivered to the people.
He described the deceased as a simple, modest, and religious man who gave his life for the service of the nation.
“While this is a moment of grief and national mourning, it is a moment of celebration and sober reflection. As we reflect on his life, we are reminded of our democracy,” Hon. Abbas said.
Former Speaker and current Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, described the late Na’Abba as a talented politician, a worthy public servant, and a true Nigerian whose death has brought us sorrow.
“I appear to have mixed emotions, but I take solace in the fact that we are here not to mourn but to celebrate a giant.
“The evidence abounds that he lived a very good life. He was a follower of Mallam Aminu Kano and was concerned about the downtrodden in the country. He served the downtrodden and chose to be a servant of the people; his voice was to speak for the voiceless. Our democracy is young, but after two decades, we have become comfortable with the present situation. When we returned to democracy in 1999, the political rules that guide us today were not there, but Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba understood what it took to lead the House. As a speaker, I consulted with him regularly, and I thank him for that. He was a beloved father, brother, mentor, and guardian,” Gbajabiamila said.
On his part, former Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, who spoke on behalf of the Body of Former Speakers, said the history of the legislature cannot be written without the name of the late Ghali Umar Na’Abba.
According to Masari, Ghali paid his dues and prayed for God to grant him eternal rest.
“For those of us who were with Ghali from 1999–2003, I remember when the House was constituted, none of us had any experience with legislative duties. We had an executive who was a former military general with no experience with democracy. This was the situation in which Ghali found himself in that particular situation. Ghali came from a radical political background, and it gave him courage to face the situation,” Hon. Massacre said.
He also said, “He was a distinguished Nigerian and parliamentarian; he dared to provide leadership in such difficult times. But he survived and completed his tenure despite all the challenges. The sad part of it in Nigeria is that you are taken care of when you are dead and not when you are alive.
Masari urged the lawmakers to provide leadership that will give the citizens hope.
Similarly, Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, who spoke on behalf of the Body of Deputy Speakers, described the late Ghali Na’Abba as a leader of excellence who led the House then without a compass.
“Between 1999 and 2003, I had the singular opportunity to serve under two Speakers, Hon. Saliau Buhari and Hon. Ghali Na’Abba. This House was full of members who had dreams for the country and our independence. Ghali ensured the NDDC Act was passed in the Assembly, and Ghali ensured that he mobilised the House to override the President’s Veto. Ghali passed the act without the president. They tried to remove us several times, but with the support of members, we stayed until the full term. He was a leader who should be mortalized. Ghali was a good man,” Nwuche said.
Meanwhile, on behalf of the Body of Principal Officers, Hon. Bawa Bwari described the session as a day of mixed feelings.
“We had a special bond filled with mutual trust. He was a mentor. I recall the countless times we worked side by side in transparency. He was a pillar, a strength, and a beacon of hope,” Hon. Bwari said.
Hon. Bwari added that one of his qualities was fearlessness and he always worked for what he believed in.
“What I will always remember is his ability to unite a house of various divisions. He impacted me, the 1999 House, and Nigerians. Na’Abba has left a void in the House of 1999,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Binta Masi Garba, who spoke on behalf of female parliamentarians, described how the late former Speaker gave all twelve female parliamentarians the same opportunity to assert our contributions to nation-building.
“He was a dogged fighter, a detribalized Nigerian. What the National Assembly is doing today, he was the man that started and gave the independence of the parliament,” she said.
The Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, described the late Ghali Na’Abba as a nationalist.
“I schooled with one of his children when I did my Masters in Law. I bought a handout and textbook for one of his daughters, and she went home and told the father, who insisted on speaking with me. Her father had asked her how she got the book, and she told him it was from a serving honourable member. I had the benefit of speaking with him, and one of the things he told me was that the time had come for the counter to make a difference in the lives of the downtrodden.
“This spurred me, and today we have presented three bills on constitutional amendment. Firstly, there are several Ghali Na’Abba” living today; please let’s begin to locate them. Secondly, I want us to tap into what we are seeing today and say that it is not “how far” or “how long” but “how well.” Thirdly, in the life of Ghali, everything made and created was made to bring life to others. A little selfishness and more selflessness will bring joy to the minority,” he added.
Former members of the National Assembly from 1999 to 2019 were present, and they included former Speakers Aminu Bello Masari and Femi Gbajabiamila, former Deputy Speakers Chibudom Nwuche, Austin Opara, Lasun Yusuf, Emeka Ihedioha, former House leaders Bawa Bwari and Ahmed Gamaliel, and family members of the late Speaker, among others.
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