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Tag: Femi Gbajabiamila

CoSAP seeking debt cancellation, not relief, review – Gbajabiamila
…calls for African centre on vaccine research
Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the Conference of Speakers and Heads of African Parliaments (CoSAP) is out to push for total debt cancellation by creditor-nations as opposed to debt relief or review.
He said there was a clear difference between the three terms.
Gbajabiamila, who was speaking on day two of the ongoing 1st CoSAP in Abuja, Nigeria, on Tuesday, explained that the body would want all debts owed by African countries cancelled.
He noted that this would help the countries to start from “reset the button to zero”, meaning they had no debts outstanding against them.
Compared to debt review or relief, the Nigerian Speaker told his colleagues that in the case of the latter, the debts would still be outstanding, except that there would be some alterations, adjustments or even postponement of the repayment schedules.
“We want to reset our buttons to read from zero.
“That is the position, and I appeal that we all support this push”, he stated
Gbajabiamila was contributing to discussions on the first plenary topic of the day, “Financing Africa’s pandemic Response: Legislative Imperatives and Interventions”, anchored by the Country Representative in Nigeria, World Health Organisation, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo.
The session was chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, Rt. Hon. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
Participants at the session, backing Gbajabiamila’s position, spoke on the need for parliaments to step up their oversight duties in tracking how the Executive spent the loans taken on behalf of countries, which ended as debt burdens or traps.
Some noted that in countries that secured debt reliefs, the parliaments must interrogate how the money returned to them was spent.
They pointed out that the creditor-nations, in considering the appeals for debt cancellation or relief, would look at several factors, including accounting for how the loans were utilised and the compliance of countries to agreements signed at the inception of the loan requests.
Meanwhile, as part of his recommendation for tackling or preparing for pandemics, Gbajabiamila suggested setting aside a percentage of the health budget for vaccine research and manufacturing by African nations.
He said this could also be legislated to make compliance mandatory.
The Nigerian speaker also recommended the establishment of an African Centre for Vaccine Research and Production.
He explained that the joint centre could be located anywhere on the continent, where all African countries could contribute to its development.
May 10, 2022
House resolves airlines’ strike dispute
The leadership of the House of Representatives has resolved the issues that led the Airlines Operators Association of Nigeria (AOAN) to threaten to shut down flight operations across the country.
At a meeting that lasted over three hours at the National Assembly on Monday, the House leadership, led by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila secured the commitment of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to, in the interim, make available 6 million litres of JetA1 (aviation fuel) available to the aviation fuel marketers chosen by the AOAN.
As part of the resolutions, it was agreed that as a long term solution, the airline operators must commence, as soon as possible, the process of securing a license for the importation of aviation fuel to avoid suspicion over the landing cost of the product and other associated logistic issues.
The Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority was also mandated to, as much as possible, grant waivers that do not touch on the security and safety of the country for importers of the products.
Stakeholders present at the meeting included the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Aviation, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), NNPC, Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) as well as the AOAN, among others.
At the meeting which took off on a rocky note, Speaker Gbajabiamila had warned that it was incumbent on the Chief Executive of agencies of government and the private sector to honour the invitation of the House on issues of national importance.
This happened after the representative of the governor of CBN was asked to excuse himself from the meeting by the Speaker, who emphasised that the importance and sensitivity of the meeting required the presence of the CBN governor due to the importance of the issues at stake.
The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who eventually walked into the meeting abput 15 minutes later, gave reasons why he had to be represented before his eventual arrival.
In his remarks, Speaker Gbajabiamila said the nation was at a crucial moment as the shutdown by the airline operators amounts to a potential shutting down of the country. “We cannot sit here and watch this happen.
“That is why the presence of the CBN governor is very important because his role is very critical to the resolution of this issue”
The Speaker recalled that certain resolutions that included the sale of aviation fuel at N500 per litre and the granting of aviation fuel import license to the operators was arrived at during the last meeting with the stakeholders while requesting an update on the implementation of the resolution.
The leadership of the House also inquired from the NNPC about the status of the 25,000 tons of ATK approved for the airlines as a palliative in addition to the availability of the product to the airlines for about three months.
Also, the leadership opined that functional refineries should be able to address some of the challenges being faced while asking for the status of the refineries undergoing renovation.
Responding, NNPC GMD, Mele Kyari assured that the three months supply of Jet A1 to the chosen marketers by the AOAN is assured while emphasizing that the price of the product cannot be guaranteed because it is globally market-driven.
“We will make appropriate allocations to the three marketers chosen by the operators and the other,” Kyari said.
On his part, the CBN governor, Emefiele also noted that though the apex bank has no control over the flow of the dollar, he however assured that no operator would be denied facilities by the banks as long as they are creditworthy.
While appreciating all the stakeholders for the efforts put in at resolving the issue at stake, the Speaker said, “Rounding up on a positive note, I appreciate the airline operators for being nationalistic in calling off the strike as I hope that the outcome of this meeting will usher in a lasting solution to these challenges of Jet A1 bearing in mind that there is a laissez-faire economy of demand and supply”.
May 9, 2022
Aviation Crisis: Gbajabiamila walks out Emefiele’s Representative
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday, walked out the representative of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele had shunned the invitation of the leadership of the House over the crisis in the aviation sector.
Instead, the CBN governor sent a representative, Kingsley Obiora.
It would be recalled that Emefiele is currently embroiled in politics over his attempt to participate in the 2023 general elections.
At the commencement of the meeting today, the Speaker walked out Mr Obiora with a clear message directed to the CBN governor.
“We all pull out of our recess to be here. Nothing could be more important than being here.”
It would be recalled that the Airline operators had threatened to shut down operations over the high cost of fuel but later made a u-turn to shelve the shutdown.
The House had earlier scheduled to convene an emergency session to address the issue, however, the session was called off after the AON resolved not to shut down.
The leaders of the House are currently meeting with the operators, the NNPC GMD, Mele Kyari and others.
May 9, 2022
Gbajabiamila felicitates Muslims on Eid-el-Fitr, calls for sober reflection, prayers for Nigeria
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has felicitated with Nigerian Muslims on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Fitr.
Gbajabiamila said the sallah period, coming after one month of fast during the Holy month of Ramadan, should be used for sober reflection even as he urged Islamic faithful to return to pray for peace and unity in the country.
The Speaker recalled that the month of Ramadan, in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), usually comes with a lot of lessons, which include dedication and sacrifice to the Almighty Allah.
Gbajabiamila said at a time like this when Nigeria is facing unprecedented challenges, it was imperative for citizens to look inward and re-dedicate themselves to their Creator through prayers and sincere acts of worship.
He noted that the Holy month of Ramadan has provided Muslims with ample time in supplication, which he said was a true way of following the footsteps of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
He urged Nigerian Muslims to imbibe and inculcate the lessons learnt from the just concluded month of Ramadan, especially selflessness, sacrifice and patience.
Speaker Gbajabiamila enjoined Nigerians to continue keeping faith with the leadership of the the country as well as giving their own quota to the development of the country.
May 2, 2022
Electoral Act: Your Election Can Be Annulled, Gbajabiamila Warns Appointees Yet To Resign
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila has advised political appointees seeking elective positions to resign, saying their elections might be annulled if they refused to do so.
He made the call on Thursday while speaking to Channels Television in London on the sidelines of a paper he delivered at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House).
According to him, Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that political appointees should resign before seeking political offices in the next election, should be obeyed.
“There was a reason for every law. And that particular provision had a reason behind it,” the lawmaker said. “It had mischief it sought to cure and we all know what that mischief is.”
While some appointees have followed the provision, he said others “remain obstinate for want of a better word and hide under the cover that there is a court decision that has nullified that provision.
“But then, there is also a court decision that said that nullification by the court should not be executed as of yet. Then, there has also been an appeal by the National Assembly to set it aside.
“So, invariably, it is a personal decision that they have to make. Therefore, the risk they run at the end of it all is if the court does find that the National Assembly was well within its rights to make such a provision that you are contesting an election while still a political appointee, then you are on a very serious risk of having your election bid annulled”.
April 29, 2022
2023: Addressing voter apathy will improve elections outcomes – Gbajabiamila
…highlights the need to reform campaign finance laws
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that voter education and enlightenment could help increase the rate of voter participation in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
Gbajabiamila spoke at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House on Thursday, where he presented a paper on ‘Consolidating Nigeria’s Democracy: Prospects for Strengthening Nigeria’s Electoral Systems Ahead of 2023 Elections.’
He said: “Voter education and enlightenment campaigns can help increase the rate of voter participation, getting more people to believe that there is power in the vote and that a ballot can change the course of a nation and improve the conditions of its people.
“Enhancing citizen participation,” the Speaker said, “is also about ensuring that the nation’s diversity is reflected in the composition of its political actors. The variety of voices, perspectives and experiences can only improve the quality of debate and enhance the quality of outcomes.”
The Speaker also emphasized the need to review the campaign laws of the country, especially in the area of finances for elections.
“Clearly, we need to reform our campaign finance laws and the entire system through which we fund politics and political operations in the country. This would require amendments to both the constitution and the Electoral Act.
“To be effective, such campaign finance reform legislation will impose a financial reporting mandate on candidates and campaigns and impose severe penalties on violators,” Gbajabiamila noted”.
He said that it may help clean up the flow of money into the political process, adding, “but there is a real risk that this ends up making the process more expensive by creating regulatory compliance costs.
“So, as we consider this option, we will consider others too and remain open to new ideas.”
Looking back, the Speaker outlined the steps taken by the National Assembly to ensure substantial improvement to the Nigerian electoral system, saying, “After every election cycle, the National Assembly has initiated steps to document experiences, extrapolate lessons learned and, on that basis, amend the electoral laws to plug gaps and remove bottlenecks.
“Each electoral amendment effort reflects a considered attempt to provide a more robust statutory framework for elections. From the internal party processes to the final declaration of results and even pre and post-election litigation.
“At the same time, the Independent National Electoral Commission has in the last decade shown a remarkable willingness to learn from its own mistakes, embrace new technology, engage stakeholders and take proactive action to ensure public faith in the electioneering process.
“They, and indeed the legislature, have often been helped in our joint efforts by aid and support from our international friends who understand that Nigeria’s democracy has been hard-won and deserves to be protected by all prudent and necessary means.”
He however outlined the efforts the parliament and indeed government had made towards ensuring the forthcoming elections are free, fair and credible.
“In the 2022 Appropriations Bill, the legislature has made provisions to allow both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to make adequate plans for these contingencies.
“And I am aware that in addition to funding issues, efforts are already underway to prepare for the unique challenges we face as we plan to deliver free, fair and credible elections across the country.”
Acknowledging that democracy in Nigeria is still young and fragile, Gbajabiamila said sustaining it requires dedicated efforts as the success or failure of the 2023 elections would impact the Nigerian people, the African continent and indeed, the world.
April 29, 2022
Insecurity threatens Nigeria’s foundations of nationhood – Gbajabiamila
…says African Parliaments working together through CoSAP
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the current security challenges in Nigeria are a threat to the foundations of the country’s nationhood.
The Speaker, however, noted that the Nigerian Government has responded to the challenges by taking certain measures such as increasing funding for the police and the military, recruiting personnel for security agencies, among others.
Gbajabiamila spoke when he delivered a paper titled ‘Democracy in Challenging Times: The Role of African Parliaments in Safeguarding and Delivering on the Dividends of Democracy’ at the School of Oriental Studies, London on Wednesday as part of his ongoing official visit to the UK.
Speaking on the challenges facing Nigeria, Gbajabiamila said: “The most pressing of these challenges today is the national security crisis that threatens the foundations of our nationhood and portends great danger for Africa and the world if it persists.
The Speaker, however, said: “First, to address present challenges and then to build resilient institutions that can withstand uncertainty in troubled times, more than anything else, our focus must remain on the young and vibrant youth of Nigeria and Africa who have so much to offer the world and who have proven that they can thrive under challenging circumstances given half a chance.
“However we cannot do this for as long as our present national security challenges persist.
“The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has responded to the reality of our present challenges by increasing funding provisions for the police and armed forces, accelerating recruitment and training to put more boots on the ground and also acquiring weapons systems designed to give the security agencies an advantage.
The Speaker said upon the resumption of the 9th House, “the scope of our challenges was evident, matched only by our confidence that we would do what was required to overcome those difficulties and deliver the dividends of democracy for our people.
“Now the topic of this paper speaks to ‘dividends of democracy,’ a term that has been loosely and broadly interpreted to mean different things to different people but what exactly does it mean or what is a universally aceptable definition of the phrase dividends of democracy.
“For me and the House, we understood that the best dividend of democracy is a just society, where individual rights are recognised and respected. Where citizens have the freedom to dream big dreams and the social resources and infrastructure to achieve those dreams.
He noted that such moments create opportunities “for positive change, for righting wrongs and establishing new protocols better suited to the reality of the times than whatever existed before.
Motivated by these understandings, the Speaker added, for the first time in the history of the Nigerian legislature, the 9th House began by developing a legislative agenda to articulate in detail “our governing priorities and the specific actions we intended to meet those priorities.”
He said as the House was moving quickly to implement its agenda, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, forcing certain drastic measures, including a reworking of the Legislative Agenda.
“We proposed landmark legislation to reform our public health emergency response system and update our public vaccination protocols. We received heavy criticism for these efforts, as a spirited disinformation campaign suggested malicious intent behind our actions.
“Barely a year later, the rest of the world caught up to the problems we foresaw and sought to prevent and have gone on to enact the same vaccine mandates for which we were then roundly criticised.
“In addition to refocusing our local priorities, Covid-19 reminded us in parliament of the indispensability of international collaboration in seeking solutions to shared problems. It is an unfortunate reality that despite the similarities of our governance challenges across the continent, there often aren’t enough coordinated efforts to share ideas, jointly consider solutions and adopt best practices to address our shared problems.”
Gbajabiamila said with the support of his other colleagues across the African continent, “I convened the first Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments (CoSAP) as a platform for continental parliamentary cooperation and coordination that will allow us to try to change this dynamic.
“Already, the conference is participating in a broad partnership to renegotiate the terms of our national debts and free up much-needed resources for development whilst committing to a new regime of responsible administration of public resources.
He said the Nigerian House of Representatives would this year host the inaugural in-person meeting of CoSAP to establish a framework of action to ensure the achievement of the objectives that motivated this unique partnership.
“As in most of Africa, Parliament in Nigeria is designed on the basic premise that the legislative function is entirely to make laws and perform periodic oversight to ensure that the Executive implements the laws. This is an outdated model that fails to reflect the public expectation of parliament or the value that parliament and parliamentarians can bring to governance in a differently designed system.”
April 28, 2022
Speaker Gbajabiamila saddened over Alaafin’s demise
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has described the passing away of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, as a sad development that touched him personally.
Gbajabiamila said the death of the paramount Yoruba ruler came to him as a rude shock, describing the late Alaafin, who had been like a father to him, as a very intelligent father with a sound grasp of traditional, social, political and international history.
According to him, Oba Adeyemi was a man of peace whose five decades of quality leadership to his people endeared him to the masses.
Speaker Gbajabiamila, who was recently appointed the Aare Baasofin of Yoruba Land by the late Alaafin, said the death of the traditional ruler has created a void too difficult to fill.
He said the Alaafin would be sorely missed by him and all Nigerians, especially the Yoruba people, as he served as a father figure to all, giving wise counsel when needed. He has supported the political career of many Nigerian leaders especially in the quest of Gbajabiamila’s journey to the Speakership of the country.
While praying for Allah (SWT) to find a peaceful resting place for the Alaafin, Gbajabiamila sent his condolences to the people and Government of Oyo State, especially the Royal Family and the entire Yoruba race.
April 24, 2022
Nigeria ready for more economic ties with Europe – Gbajabiamila
…meets Austrian parliamentarians
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that Nigeria is open to having more economic ties with European countries and helping develop its internal endowments.
He stated that the country would welcome investments from Europe and also seek the transfer of technology to develop its enormous natural resources, including gas and renewable energy sources.
“Renewable energy is one way to go. Nigeria has its economic plans well thought-out. And we are well-endowed; we have hydropower, solar and alternative energy.
“All we need is technology transfer; we have to build the partnerships”, he stated.
Gbajabiamila was speaking on Thursday when he received a parliamentary delegation from Austria at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The delegation was led by a member of the Austrian National Council, Hon. Dr Axel Kassegger.
The Speaker, who condemned the war in Ukraine, applauded the sanctions imposed on Russia.
However, he noted that the sanctions also meant that European countries depending on gas supplies from Russia had been cut off, adding that Nigeria with its huge gas reserves, could become useful in reducing the supply gap to the affected parts of Europe.
Gbajabiamila also spoke on parliamentary diplomacy, which he said had been well-deployed by the 9th House of Representatives in collaborating with the Executive to address issues bordering on national security, the safety of Nigerian citizens abroad, among others.
He recalled how the House effectively deployed parliamentary diplomacy during the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the trade disputes involving the Ghanaian authorities/foreigners and recently, during the onset of the war in Ukraine.
“Just recently, when the war in Ukraine started, the House intervened to ensure that our citizens in Ukraine were brought home safely.
“The Leader of the House was sent on that mission to oversee the implementation of the resolution passed by the House, which was to evacuate Nigerians home safely”, he added.
Speaking earlier, Kassegger disclosed that the mission of the delegation was to look into how to expand relations with Nigeria in business development, education and the deepening of parliamentary diplomacy.
He described the war in Ukraine as “a shame” and urged all nations to condemn it.
Members of the delegation took some minutes to interact with Gbajabiamila, asking questions about investment opportunities in Nigeria and areas Austria could tap into in order to expand both countries’ diplomatic ties started about 60 years ago.
April 7, 2022
Gbajabiamila assures of enduring credible electoral process
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has reiterated the readiness of the Green Chamber to continuously offer legislative push for a credible political process in Nigeria.
Saying that credible election is critical to the deepening of the nation’s democracy, the speaker while receiving a delegation of the United Nations Election Needs Assessment Mission to Nigeria (NAM) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in his office on Wednesday, noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other critical stakeholders must be supported in their quest to give the country credible elections.
He said: “For any constitutional democracy, the first thing is to have credible elections, and it is on that foundation that we can build other areas. Without that, we can’t have what we call democracy.”
Gbajabiamila said it was in the light of ensuring an enduring democracy for Nigeria that the National Assembly carried out fundamental amendments to the electoral law that was recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Against all odds, we’ve been able to pass far-reaching reforms through the Electoral Act to deepen our democracy and strengthen our electoral process”, he added.
He also noted that though cultural factors remained an issue, women’s participation in government would be positively reviewed by the National Assembly.
“It’s a process we are working towards; we have to do it right and with patience so that no one is disenfranchised.”
While commending the UNDP for its interest and support for credible elections in the country, Gbajabiamila said, “Whatever you need from us, as long as it doesn’t compromise our sovereignty, as a House of Representatives, we will be ready to work with you to deliver credible elections.”
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the delegation, Serge Gakwandi Kubwimana, noted that the UNDP did not get involved in elections without specific requests from the governments through their relevant institutions.
He, however, said that the group’s requests to the speaker were centred on how to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process as well as the inclusion of women and people with disabilities in the electoral process and the technical or advisory assistance the organisation could offer.
April 6, 2022