9th Assembly: Time For Femi’s Speakership -By Hafizu Ibrahim Kawu & Sha’aban Sharada

As we count down to the proclamation of the 9th National Assembly on 11 June, 2019, there is heightened  suspense on who, among the contending gladiators, would emerge as the presiding officers of the House of Representatives.

Primary interest in this piece is, on the green chamber which is seen as the heartbeat of the National Assembly, considering the wider diversity of the Federal Constituencies and the relatively younger population of House members compared to the Senate.

The vibrancy and constructiveness of its membership has earned the House of Representatives the sobriquet: House of Nigerian people. The House is indeed truly representative of the Nigerians by virtue of its composition and reach. Whoever seeks to lead the House must be a leader whose profile and character resonate well with the vast majority of the members.

Given the previous history of fractiousness, recriminations and mistrust associated with successive leaderships in the House, whoever that would be elected as the Speaker must be someone who commands the acceptance of a wider spectrum of the members across parties line and must be a person with vision toward nation-building.

It’s crucial for both returnees and members-elect in the 9th assembly to ensure vote an experienced legislator that will ensure smooth and timely passage of budgets, executive bills and other bills that will ensure better life for Nigerians, adequate security of lives and properties of Nigerians. Nigerians don’t want to see the National Assembly constantly at war with executive arms of government.

Nigerians expectations on their representatives are to leave to their  expectations by making laws that will enhance their respective constituents peoples life which will bring them a sustainable development not an assembly that fights with the Executive arm. Even the executive arm of government want to have a mutual working relationship with the 9th National Assembly as such relationship would smoothen governance and particularly improve the budgetary process in the country. Such mutual working needed in line with next level agenda of the present administration to return the budgetary process to the January-December fiscal cycle against now runs a near June budget cycle, owing to delays often caused by executive-legislature bickering.

Nigerians want to have an assembly that would strengthen existence anti-corruption laws by amends,  or passing laws that will build strong anti-corruption law that cannot be manipulated by personalities in line with present administration crusade against corruption to the next level agenda. 

The newly elected lawmakers are fully aware of what happened in the 8th assembly which slowed the implementation of various federal government’s projects and policies. To avoid the reoccurring of this unpleasant relationship between the Executive and legislative the upcoming 9th Assembly need its speaker to be someone with enough legislative experience to steer the affairs of the House.

It has become imperative members of the House of Representatives to look for a candidate who his candidacy is not about himself but about sanitanizing nation’s democracy a speaker who will strengthening our democracy in line with global best practices. In the upcoming assembly, we want to have a  People’s speaker that will do  People’s business and champion electorate cause and fulfills their hopes and aspiration of Nigerians.

We called on returnees and members-elect in respect of party affiliation to do the needful by side with  NATION BUILDING JOINT TASKS  PROJECT. This project is nothing about aspirants self centre interest is about the well being of Nigerians whereas all-inclusive chamber will accommodate all shade of opinions.  Femi Gbajabiamila and Ahmad Idris Wase promised opposition parties serving and newly elected lawmakers to be inclusive as the project really need them.  To prove they readiness to run inclusive for the 9th National Assembly  JOINT TASKS  campaign logo embodies the logos of all political parties represented in the House (9th Assembly).  In view of the foregoing development already both returnees and newly elected members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties in the House him.

Hon Femi Gbajabiamila  as a speaker of  the House of Representatives, the house will have a peace devoid of any rencour because he   has enough legislative experience to steer the affairs of the House and also   enjoys the support of the legislators in respect of parties line  because he is committed to lead the house to provide best-in-class solutions to critical issues affecting our country and to drive a solid plan of action for the achievement of both quick wins and longer–term objectives of the 9th assembly.

Kawu & Sharada wrote in from Abuja