Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has affirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, in partnership with the 10th National Assembly, is more determined than ever to address insecurity and drive Nigeria’s economic prosperity.
Speaker Abbas made this known in Abuja, at ‘An Evening with 004’, an informal engagement between the Speaker and Nigerian youths, organised by the Office of the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker was accompanied by his wife, Hajia Fatima Abbas Tajudeen, and his children, who witnessed as the APC Youth Wing honoured him with the ‘Legislator of the Year (National Category)’ award.
The event, which was to commemorate Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, saw the Speaker inspiring the youth with his life as a teacher, accountant, and politician.
Led by the National Youth Leader of the APC, Mr Dayo Israel, the youths freely asked Speaker Abbas various questions about his background, politics, health, security, economy, entrepreneurship, women’s inclusion, and the House under his leadership.
The Speaker stated that the Tinubu-led administration is working hard towards ensuring the security of lives and property, as well as creating an enabling environment that will make crimes and criminality unattractive to the youth.
“There’s no country in the world that can achieve any meaningful progress without adequate security.
“I believe within the next two years, and certainly the next four years of this administration – God willing, we will no longer be talking about insecurity because the government will do whatever is necessary to ensure that we create more than any other thing the enabling environment that will mitigate and prevent insecurity,” Mr Abbas said.
This is just as the Speaker named President Tinubu as his role model due to his ability to network across the country and maintain relationships for over four decades.
The Speaker emphasised the inadequacy of Nigeria’s annual budgets and expressed optimism that the tax reform initiatives of President Tinubu will substantially raise the revenue profile of the country.
Speaker Abbas said, “I want to assure you that this present administration is doing its best. If you look at the historical figures in budgetary provisions, particularly for education and for health, you will see that there has been a reasonable appreciation of the figures that we have recorded in the last two budgets.”
The Speaker also attributed the unity and peace in the House to the overwhelming support from members, noting that they are according their due rights and benefits irrespective of political, religious, and ethnic differences.
Speaking on the lessons he had learnt on his journey, which he will pass to his children, the Speaker advised youths in Nigeria to be honest and transparent in their dealings, saying these virtues attract public trust and success.
Speaker Abbas said, “Be open and honest in whatever you do. Once you are open and honest, you can never get it wrong. Even when you make mistakes, people will understand that it is a mistake.”
Speaker Abbas also explained why President Tinubu is first among his mentors.
He said, “I have so many role models. Asiwaju is one of them, definitely because of his antecedents in being able to support people right from the time he was a senator to governor. And I have seen him with a set of people over a journey of 40 years, and he is still with them. Not too many Nigerians – not too many – will be able to sustain relationships for such a very long time. So, he is my role model as far as that is concerned.”
The Speaker noted that his proudest moment as a legislator was when President Muhammadu Buhari assented to a record 22 of his bills under the last Assembly (out of the record 74 sponsored by him).
On the gender bills under consideration by the National Assembly in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, Speaker Abbas recalled how the youth successfully pushed for the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ bill, which led to the reduction in the age qualification for elective public offices.
“If we achieve that, we are further pushing the agenda of inclusivity to all Nigerians. So many things need to be done, but we need to do them one at a time. I am very optimistic that the 10th Assembly provides a golden opportunity for the women of Nigeria to actualise their dreams in the democratic and electoral processes of this country.”
When asked to speak about her husband, Hajia Fatima described Speaker Abbas as “an extraordinary man; very kind, very honest.”
Advising young women with her three lessons in marriage, Hajia Fatima listed “prayer, a lot of patience, and always stand by each other.”
On the award, the youths said it was “in recognition of your exemplary leadership, visionary stewardship, and outstanding legislative impact at the national level.”
The 109 senatorial youth leaders of the APC also presented a head bust to the Speaker in recognition of his positive impact.