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Tag: Femi Gbajabiamila

Lagos LG Poll: Why Card Reader Failed At My Polling Unit – Gbajabiamila
Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila on Saturday expressed disappointment after the card reader at his polling unit failed during the Lagos local government elections.
Mr Gbajabiamila, speaking to Channels Television, said the incident was a sign that Nigeria is not ready for electronic transmission of results, an issue that divided the National Assembly recently.
Referencing election officials, the Speaker said the card reader failed due to poor network coverage.
The local government elections had held amid widespread apathy as many voters failed to turn out, according to Channels Television correspondents who monitored the process.
‘Most Important’
The Speaker, who represents Surulere 1 Constituency at the House of Representatives, said local government elections are “most important” because they are closer to the grassroots.
“This is the most important election,” he said. “Many will say Presidential, National Assembly elections.
“For me, it is more important for obvious reasons: the local government elections are where the grassroots is. And as is often said, any house that is built on sand or shaky grounds will crumble.
“You have to have solid ground to build a solid foundation to build a proper house. And that’s where the local government comes to play. These are the people of Nigeria. This is the vote that is closest to them.”
Card reader failure
While addressing the thorny issue of electronic transmission of election results, the Speaker said he supports progress.
However, in his estimation, the country may not yet be ready for a switch to electronic transmission.
“Many of us in the National Assembly want progressive elections and that includes electronic transmission of votes,” he said.
“But many are also acutely aware of the problems they have in their constituencies, where some people believe there is no network coverage. And that has come to play here today in practical terms.
“It is one thing to theorise and say we want electronic transmission, which is what I want and what many of my colleagues want. But it’s another thing to actually see it in operation.
“I came in here and unfortunately, in an urban cosmopolitan area, the card reader is not working.
“And I asked the officials what’s going and they said it hasn’t been working all day. And so they couldn’t really use the card reader. I asked why, they said because of network problems. So I had to fill an incident form.
“So, it’s almost like we are not there yet.”
July 24, 2021
Gbajabiamila mourns Wase’s sister, Hajiya Maryam
The Speaker of the House of Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has described as painful, the demise of Hajiya Maryam Idris Abdullahi Maikano, the elder sister to the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase.
The Speaker said Hajiya Maryam Maikano, who died at the age of 75, would be remembered by many, especially her family members.
Gbajabiamila sent his heartfelt condolences to the family of the Deputy Speaker and the people of Wase Federal Constituency, especially Bashar town.
He prayed Allah (SWT) to grant the soul of Hajiya Maryam Idris Abdullahi Maikano eternal rest and make Jannatul Firdaus her final abode.
July 24, 2021
Eid-el-Kabir: Gbajabiamila sues for prayers, Unity among Nigerians
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has called for prayers and unity of purpose among Nigerians at this period of Eid-el-Kabir.
He said as people that believe and worship God, Nigerians, especially Muslims, should use the opportunity of the Eid-el-Kabir to pray for their leaders to be able to find solutions to our problems.
Gbajabiamila said Nigerians must remain united and steadfast at all times to be able to face the challenges confronting the country.
He called on Muslims to imbibe the habit of sacrifice and love for one another as characterized by the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (SAW).
Speaker Gbajabiamila said there is more that unites us as a people, hence the need for togetherness and peaceful coexistence.
Gbajabiamila, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, urged Nigerians to conduct themselves in a patriotic manner as “We have no other country we can call our own than Nigeria.
“I congratulate my Muslim compatriots for marking this year’s Eid-el-Kabir. This is a time for us to be more united as a people.
“As Muslims, we must make frantic efforts to emulate the virtues of the Holy Prophet, whose life is a perfect example of what we all should be.
“The act of sacrifice, one of the major lessons of the Eid-el-Kabir, should be part of our lives at all times. We must make sacrifices for ourselves, our families, our friends, our neighbours, and of course, our country.
“I enjoin all of us to continue to be good citizens and make meaningful contributions for our continuous peaceful coexistence,” Gbajabiamila said.
July 19, 2021
Gbajabiamila congratulates Sanwo-Olu for emergence as Vanguard Personality of the Year
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has congratulated the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, for emerging as the Vanguard Newspaper’s Personality of the Year 2019/2020.
Gbajabiamila said he was not surprised at Sanwo-Olu’s choice by the Vanguard Newspaper as the governor’s superlative performance in office speaks for itself.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said Sanwo-Olu would go down as one of the most dedicated and committed leaders Lagos State has ever produced.
Gbajabiamila congratulated the people of Lagos State for having Sanwo-Olu as their governor at this time and thanked the Vanguard Newspaper for giving honour to whom it is due.
The Speaker said he believed the award of Personality of the Year would spur the Lagos State governor to do more for Lagosians.
July 18, 2021
Speaker Gbajabiamila mourns Lagos APC Treasurer, Sumbo Ajose
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has described as painful the passing of Mrs. Sumbo Ajose, the Treasurer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee in Lagos State.
Gbajabiamila said with Ajose’s death, APC has lost one of its finest and committed members not just in Lagos State but in the country at large.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said Ajose’s invaluable contributions to the APC in Lagos State would remain indelible in the sand of time.
Gbajabiamila sent his condolences to her family, the government and the people of Lagos State, especially the APC family, over the painful loss.
He prayed for the repose of the soul of late Sumbo Ajose, whom he described as a committed state executive and politician who had the interest of the people at heart.
July 14, 2021
Why we initiated interventions on insecurity -Gbajabiamila
…says House to resolve overlapping mandates among agencies
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has spoken on how the House took some far-reaching security measures in its commitment to support the Executive in addressing the security challenges confronting the country.
He explained that the interventions by the House were necessary because finding solutions to the challenges was a collective responsibility.
Gbajabiamila was speaking in Lagos on Friday where he declared open a two-day National Security Legislative Reform retreat.
The speaker noted that the initiative was another “evidence of our commitment in the 9th House of Representatives to doing what is required of us to make sure our country can overcome the serious national security challenges that currently threaten the safety and wellbeing of our people.”
Participants will use the retreat to review seven bills with overlapping mandates on security, intelligence and the related agencies.
The bills include the Armed Forces Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021; Police Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021; National Security and Civil Defence Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021; Customs and Excise Management Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021; ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, The Ammunition and Other Related Materials (Ratification and Enforcement) Bill, 2021; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021; and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Gbajabiamila said, “How best to ensure the objectives of our national security and ensure that the men and women who live and work in our country can have full lives, free from the terror imposed by marauders and fundamentalists is now the defining question of our national life.
“How we answer this question and our ability to overcome the evident challenges of the moment will determine whether or not we can educate our children, attract investment to grow the economy, build critical national infrastructure, create jobs and ensure the continued and prosperous existence of our republic”.
The speaker, who was represented by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Toby Okechukwu, noted that even if the House was constitutionally handicapped in taking certain necessary actions to address the issue, it would not fold its arms and watch insecurity spiralling out of control.
He stated, “In the legislature, we do not control armies, we cannot deploy men and equipment to fight insurgencies and to prevent the taking over of spaces by bandits, criminals and assorted bad actors.
“Our power, and therefore our responsibility, lies in our constitutional mandate to make laws for the good governance of the country. And we serve this mandate by convening ourselves and others in programmes like this, to critically consider problems, advance solutions and agree on a joint strategy for law making, for oversight and collaboration with the executive.”
According to Gbajabiamila, the objective of the retreat is to review each of the seven bills, with a view to eliciting discussions that will culminate in the passage of a series of legislation that will strengthen the efforts of the executive in tackling insecurity.
The speaker explained, “We do this so that by the time we return to Abuja, we will together and individually work to rapidly advance these reform proposals through the legislative process, with a clear-eyed understanding of the fact that the work we do on these bills will go a long way in ensuring that our country can defeat the forces of violence and strife that challenge us and threaten our peaceful prosperity.
“In addition to reviewing the bills under consideration, this retreat is an opportunity for us to propose and consider additional security reform suggestions.”
Gbajabiamila appreciated the collaborative efforts of the House Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation (KAS) and other contributors for the vision to review of the bills, adding that they reflected the recommendations for legislative action made by security/policy experts at the recently-concluded Special Summit on National Security held in Abuja.
“We are, all of us, partners in the joint task of nation-building, and it is a thing of great joy when we gather together like this with a clear vision, and evident passion to make good the lives of men and women in our beloved country”, the speaker added.
The Chairman, House Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of Legislative Agenda, Rep. Henry Nwawuba, said the reasons for the gathering was to meet the House of Representatives’ commitment to security sector reform and also to ensure that the bills under consideration could quickly pass through the legislative process for implementation.
In his opening remarks, NILDS’ Director-General (DG), Abubakar Suleiman, said overlapping and poor understanding of mandates often led to conflicts in many developing countries, mainly due to the long stay of the military in power.
According to him, the institute joined other critical stakeholders to address the issue so as to find collective solutions to the security challenges.
On the essence of the collaboration, the Resident Representative of Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung, Dr Vladimir Kreck, said inter-agency collaboration and overlapping mandates were not strange developments.
“To overcome rivalry between agencies and to induce synergies, a regulatory framework is necessary, defining the modes of collaboration.
“It is against this backdrop that in 2020, our organisation commissioned a survey on overlapping mandates of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria. The analysis of the constitutional and statutory provisions of security agencies illustrated not only the areas of conflicting mandates but also the need for legislative actions in order to provide agencies with a framework that enables synergies and joint approaches.”
Among those attending the retreat are Reps Abdul Majid Adekoya, Deputy Minority Whip; Abdulrazak Namdas, Chairman, House Committee on Army; Abubakar Fulata, Chairman Rules and Business Committee; Francis Agbo, Chairman, Committee on Drug Law and Narcotics; Leke Abejide, Chairman, Customs and Excise Committee; Gaza Gwefi, Chairman, Committee on Legislative Library, Research and Documentation; Nicholas Ossai, Chairman, Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreement; and Victor Nwokolo, Chairman, Banking and Currency.
The retreat continues on Saturday.
July 9, 2021
Constitution Review: Gbajabiamila seeks collaboration between NASS, State Assemblies
…says legislature remains most important arm of Govt
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has called for collaboration between the National Assembly and the 36 State Houses of Assembly to make the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution successful.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke at a meeting of the Conference of Presiding Officers of Nigerian Legislatures (COPON) in Abuja at the weekend, also stated that the Legislature remained the most important arm of government in any democratic setting.
He said the intention of the “wholesale review of our nation’s constitution” was “using the constitutional amendment process to address the foundational deficiencies in our constitution that continue to mitigate against the attainment of an honourable, peace and universal prosperity in our country.”
The Speaker said once the National Assembly was done with its part, it would forward the constitution review document to State Houses of Assembly for their own constitutional inputs.
“That process of constitutional review cannot succeed without strategic collaboration between all of us who are here today.
“So, I ask of you that we take the opportunity of this conference to agree on the things we wish to achieve so that we can begin now to devise the strategies through which we can achieve our objectives”, he added.
Gbajabiamila said by virtue of its roles, which included coming together to protect the interests of the diverse people in the country, the legislature had a more direct and immediate connection with the people at the grassroots.
The Speaker urged legislators to remain true to their constitutional roles.
He spoke further, “I believe that the legislature is the most important arm of the government. Some might say I am biased, having spent most of my political career in the legislature. And they will be right. But the fact remains, that by design, it is only the legislator that has the constitutional obligation to come to work each day and advocate for the interests of the people on whose behalf we serve.
“This is both a high honour and a heavy responsibility. And I am pleased that at this time in our nation’s history, we have as presiding officers of parliament across the country, capable people who recognise the importance of this moment and are equal to the task of nation-building at this critical time.”
Gbajabiamila noted that though there are three arms of government with the Judiciary and the Executive having their roles clearly understood by all, there is usually a misconception about the role of the Legislature.
“In governance, there is a role for the Legislature. Unfortunately in our clime, and perhaps in most climes, the role of the Legislature is often conflicted and bungled together to include the role of the Judiciary, the role of the Executive, and even the role of a private organisation.
“We have to play all these roles as legislators. What I find solace in is the fact that this misconception and misunderstanding of the role of the Legislature is a worldwide phenomenon. It is universal, and it is not peculiar to Nigeria alone”, he said.
On the conference, Gbajabiamila said since the last meeting of COPON 12 years ago, “…our democracy has changed. We have matured and improved, yet in many important ways, and on many important issues, there is still a lot of work left to do.
“As legislators, our ability to do what is required of us in this joint task of nation-building depends, in some measure, on how well we can work together within the federal legislature, and across the legislatures of the thirty-six states.”
July 3, 2021
Gbajabiamila greets Tunji Bello at 60
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has rejoiced with the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, as he clocks 60 years.
Gbajabiamila, who described Tunji Bello as one of the pillars of democracy in Lagos State, said the lawyer cum journalist has paid his dues in making Lagos what it is today.
He said as a one-time Secretary to the Government of Lagos State, Tunji Bello dedicated himself to ensuring the best for the state, a feat he is replicating as a commissioner.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Lanre Lasisi, noted that Bello’s invaluable contributions to humanity would remain indelible in years to come.
Gbajabiamila said at 60, Tunji Bello has achieved a lot, describing him as a man with a large accommodating heart.
The Speaker wished Tunji Bello many more years in good health.
July 1, 2021
Gbajabiamila celebrates Sanwo-Olu at 56
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has congratulated the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on his 56th birthday.
Gbajabiamila said Sanwo-Olu has proven to be a man of the people since he assumed office two years ago.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker described Sanwo-Olu as a silent achiever, whose performance in office speaks for itself.
The Speaker said it is not a mere coincidence that he and the Lagos State governor share the same birthday, noting that they have a lot in common, especially in the area of serving the people.
Gbajabiamila recalled how Sanwo-Olu had sleepless nights at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year to ensure that the people of Lagos were safe, being the worst-hit state in the country.
He said following the destruction of both public and private property in the state during the EndSars protests, Governor Sanwo-Olu did his best to rebuild the state, a development he described as commendable.
“We all thank God for the life of His Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, my birthday mate. Lagosians are proud of him, and indeed Nigerians are proud of him.
“I believe in the next two years, Lagos State will witness massive development much more than what we saw in the past two years.
“One can only pray for more years in good health and continuous God’s protection for our governor,” Gbajabiamila said.
June 24, 2021
Effective leadership recruitment, key to APC’s survival – Gbajabiamila
For the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the progressive movement to survive in Nigeria, there must be a deliberate and effective system of leadership recruitment to identify and prepare people, especially the youth, to occupy the important offices of party and government, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said.
Gbajabiamila said this was the practice all over the world, especially in countries where democracy had developed over the years.
Speaking at the 2021 Progressives Youth Conference of the APC in Abuja on Monday, Gbajabiamila said the party needed to identify competent people both at home and in the Diaspora and bring them on board to be “effective champions of progressivism in the country and in government.”
The speaker also said translating good manifestos into policies by political parties remained the foundation for achievements.
“Political party manifestos are a statement of vision and vision is the foundation of all achievements. For a nation such as ours to succeed, we must first define a common vision that will inspire us, bring us together, and provide the focus that allows us to persevere through the inevitable difficult times”, Gbajabiamila.
He noted further, “Political parties exist to mobilise public support to form a government and to superintend over the affairs of the state. To be successful in this regard, political parties must reflect in their membership, the broad spectrum of the society it seeks to govern.
“As is the case with all other contractual documents, the commitments contained in the party manifesto are the basis upon which the party’s record in government will be measured and its leaders will be assessed both in real-time and in the judgment of history. As it has been throughout history, so also will it be for us in the All Progressives Congress (APC) as we too will answer for what we have done with our time in government.
“I believe that much has been accomplished despite the fact of the many obstacles that have stood in our way. Yet, there is still much left to do in the two years we have left to complete our assignment.
“For the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the progressive movement to survive in Nigeria, we must commit ourselves to a deliberate and effective system of leadership recruitment to identify and prepare people – young people especially, to occupy the important offices of party and government.
“We need to identify people from the professional ranks and the private sector, from here at home and in the diaspora. We need to bring them into the fold and prepare them to become effective champions of progressivism in the country and in government.
“As we recruit and train, we must also make sure that we elevate those who have been with us the longest, who fully embrace the principles of progressivism, who understand the vision of the progressive manifesto and who by their actions and antecedents have proven that they have the capacity to translate our manifesto into policies and practices for the good of our country and all our people.
Gbajabiamila also said the most important factor that determined whether a political party in government would succeed in implementing its manifesto would be the process by which the party arrived at the manifesto in the first instance.
“If the manifesto of the party is merely a compendium of promises put together for electoral purposes without any consideration of the personnel and resources required to achieve them, then it is unlikely to succeed.
“However, when as it should be, the manifesto is a statement of carefully thought-out principles, it becomes a guideline for governance, a reference for policy-making and a motivational text to which the members of the government will return, time and again, to draw inspiration and reinforce clarity of purpose.”
The Speaker noted that the second most important consideration for successfully implementing political party manifestos was the character and ability of the men and women to be chosen from amongst the ranks of the party’s membership to take up office in government and drive the implementation of the manifestos.
“Character speaks to questions of integrity and loyalty. Loyalty to country, and the foundational principles of the party. Whereas ability speaks to competence and the capacity of the individual to practice statecraft in a way that translates principles into action, and action into achievement.
“…in politics and governance, personnel is policy. Personnel is also identity. The men and women we choose to fly the party’s flag in elections, the people we appoint as heads of departments, and as political and policy aides; the people we select to manage the affairs of our party from the wards through to the national headquarters all together make up the face of the party”, he added.
The Speaker congratulated the APC youth wing for organizing the conference, which he said was a good avenue for nation-building.
June 22, 2021