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Tag: Femi Gbajabiamila

Gbajabiamila greets Saraki at 60
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has rejoiced with a former President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, on his 60th birthday.
Gbajabiamila, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, said Saraki has paid his dues as a distinguished Nigerian who served his people over the years.
The Speaker noted that Saraki has contributed his best when he served as the President of the 8th Senate.
Gbajabiamila wished the former governor of Kwara State more productive years and good health.
December 19, 2022
Gbajabiamila salutes President Buhari at 80
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his 80th birthday.
Describing President Buhari as a beacon of hope, Gbajabiamila eulogized the president, noting that his footprints would remain indelible in the sands of time.
The speaker recognized that President Buhari has made sacrifices for Nigeria and Nigerians over the years, especially in the last seven and a half years of his stewardship as the democratically elected president twice.
Buhari, Gbajabiamila added, will be remembered as the Nigerian leader who brought infrastructure development closer to the people.
Noting that Buhari’s democratic credentials are uncommon, Gbajabiamila said the president has allowed democratic institutions to operate unhindered, which he said is the hallmark of democracy.
“Attaining the age of 80 is a milestone, especially when one uses a large chunk of that in service to humanity. That is the case with our President.
“President Buhari has provided democratic direction and redefined democracy in the Nigerian context in the last seven and half years.
“I join millions of our compatriots to wish the President a happy 80th birthday. I pray that the Almighty Allah will continue to guide and protect our President and grant him more wisdom,” Gbajabiamila said.
December 16, 2022
Gbajabiamila expresses sadness over Ambassador Seriki’s death
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has expressed sadness over the death of Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, Demola Seriki.
Gbajabiamila said Ambassador Seriki was a fine diplomat who represented Nigeria to the best of his ability.
Until his death, Ambassador Seriki was the Nigerian ambassador to Spain with concurrent accreditation as a Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
The Speaker noted that during his lifetime, Ambassador Seriki dedicated himself to the service of his fatherland and humanity in general.
Gbajabiamila sent heartfelt condolences to the Demola Seriki family, the people and government of Lagos State.
He prayed for the repose of the soul of the late Ambassador Demola Seriki.
December 15, 2022
Gbajabiamila greets Wike at 55
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has rejoiced with the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on his 55th birthday.
Gbajabiamila said Wike has proven in the last 55 years he spent on earth that he is one Nigerian full of patriotism.
The Speaker, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, noted with delight Wike’s contributions to Nigeria’s democracy.
He said as the governor of Rivers State in the last seven and a half years, Wike has executed people-oriented programmes and projects, one of which the Speaker was invited to commission.
Gbajabiamila wished Wike many fruitful years in good health and God’s protection.
December 13, 2022
Legislative Agenda: Gbajabiamila lists successes, challenges of 9th House
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has highlighted some of the achievements recorded by the 9th House in its legislative agenda, with six months to the end of the tenure.
Gbajabiamila said the 9th House has done a lot, which was a clear departure from what obtained in the past, adding that “the last four years have been a period of consequential interventions and essential reforms that lay the foundation for future growth and prosperity. We must acknowledge this and draw lessons to guide us in the future.”
Gbajabiamila spoke when he delivered a paper titled ‘Delivering on our contract with Nigerians: Implementing the Legislative Agenda of the 9th House of Representatives – Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward’ at the Second Edition of the Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture Series organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja on Monday.
He said the 9th House has been an unusually productive parliament despite the limitations imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have taken legislative action to address longstanding challenges of governance and economics in our country. We have passed landmark legislation to fix our oil and gas industry, reform the police and reorganise the corporate administration system in our country.
“We have considered and passed meaningful legislation impacting all areas of our national life. Some of these bills are the Police Service Commission Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment) Bill, and the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act (Amendment) Bill, amongst others.
“We passed a slate of bills to reform the aviation sector and clean up our airports so that these critical national assets can be properly administered to the best expectations of the Nigerian people. We have reformed the annual budget process of the Federal Government. We have used the appropriations process and the power of parliament over the public purse to pursue community and constituency development across the country.
“We have invested in primary, secondary, and tertiary education infrastructure. We have provided ICT training centres to facilitate learning and enhance educational outcomes. There is virtually no constituency in the country that hasn’t benefited from significant investment to improve primary healthcare, rehabilitate classrooms and schools, and provide community roads,” Gbajabiamila said.
In the area of critical interventions, Gbajabiamila said the House intervened to help resolve outstanding issues between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government “so our young people could return to their academic pursuits after an extended period of industrial action by the union.
“Since then, the House of Representatives has worked to address the issues that led to the strike. We are currently working on the 2023 Appropriation Bill, which includes the sum of N170 billion to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers. The Bill also includes an additional N300bn in revitalisation funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.”
Furthermore, Gbajabiamila said, the House convened the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
“This effort is being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman. Now, these issues are the fundamentals that have been at the heart of the perennial agitation by the union.
Having addressed those, we are now motivated to focus on addressing the issues of funding, education standard, and student and staff welfare that are necessary to build twenty-first century tertiary institutions worthy of their name.
“This is the reason why just a few weeks ago, we convened a National Summit on Tertiary Education Reform (NSTER) that brought stakeholders together for two days to conduct a holistic review of the tertiary education sector in the country and make recommendations for necessary action to improve the sector. This and other interventions in the education sector are a critical component of our Legislative Agenda commitments to strengthening human capital development by providing access to quality education opportunities across the country.”
By outlining some of the many achievements of the 9th House, the Speaker said it was not his intention to take a victory lap of any kind.
“Our system of policing and the judiciary, our infrastructure and public services, and so many areas of our national life still fall far short of our best aspirations. We have made improvements to our electoral laws to enable far-reaching reforms to improve the process through which we elect political leaders. Yet, we still need to improve the internal process of nominations within the political parties.
“The amendment of the Police Act 2020 put in place a new system for reporting, investigating and sanctioning abuses of police power, yet such incidents persist across the country. Though much has been done, much yet remains to do to deliver our people from the degradations of poverty and lack, protect them from the machinations of criminals and terrorists, and reform our politics and government to better reflect the best of who we are and be more responsive to the obligation to be a catalyst of national development.”
Gbajabiamila said, “the biggest challenge of implementation we have encountered with the Legislative Agenda is one that often imperils reform efforts worldwide: the refusal to embrace change. Both consciously and otherwise, there usually is institutional resistance to fundamental changes in policy and processes in the public sector. This is compounded by the number of constituencies whose interests, concerns and expectations must be factored in and managed.
“We have three hundred and sixty members in the House of Representatives from nearly a dozen political parties. We have the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) as the parliamentary civil service with thousands of personnel, a multitude of political and policy aides, and so many other interested parties, many of whom may be used to doing things differently. Time and careful management are indispensable components of successful reform in arenas like this.
“Then you have the issue of competing objectives. How do you set a Legislative Agenda that adequately captures the priorities of constituents in Surulere, Nnewi, Daura, Gubio, Ogoja and Wase at the same time? How do you assure the members representing these diverse constituencies that the priorities of their constituents won’t get lost in a streamlined, collaborative, and coordinated approach to legislative policymaking? How do you bring the Senate and the Executive along when you have managed to ensure that the House is committed to the same priorities and rowing in one accord to the same destination?”
Going forward, Gbajabiamila said the House of Representatives, in its future iterations, should continue the agenda-setting, prioritisation, monitoring and evaluation model of legislative policymaking embodied in the Legislative Agenda of the 9th House.
He noted that the Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda should become, in the new parliament, a standing committee fully funded to serve as the in-house think tank, policy coordinator and delivery unit of the House.
“We need to adopt a new system of vetting legislative proposals for quality control and compliance with legislative agenda priorities. Amendments to the Standing Orders of the House will be required to achieve this.”
“The design of future Legislative Agendas needs to be more collaborative to aid implementation. Efforts must be made ab-initio to harmonise competing priorities of the various interests and stakeholder groups and align the different arms of government towards the same goals.
“Whatever the political settlement that emerges after the 2023 general elections, all concerned must recognise that government cannot afford to be at cross-purposes with itself. This doesn’t mean that we must all agree on what needs to be done and the process of getting things done. But we must make concerted efforts to identify areas of agreement and work on those together whilst seeking accommodations in other areas that allow us to advance little by little.”
December 12, 2022
Education summit: Gbajabiamila cautions against cynicism on proposed Students Loan Bank
…as initiative excites stakeholders
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has cautioned against condemnation or skepticism against the Student Loan Bank being proposed by the Student Loan Bill that has been passed by the National Assembly on the basis that previous attempts failed.
This is as critical stakeholders in the tertiary education sector expressed support for the return of the student loan scheme for students of tertiary education in Nigeria as proposed by the Students Loan Bill that was passed on Tuesday by the Nigerian Senate.
The bill, sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila was previously passed by the Green chambers in 2019.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke on Wednesday, the second day of the National Summit of Tertiary Education summit organized by his office, noted that the future of the teeming young people in the country should be of concern to all considering the prevailing state of tertiary education in the country.
According to him, cynicism against the Bill runs counter to proffering solutions to the challenges of funding confronting Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions who will have their dreams and aspirations truncated due to lack of access to tertiary education.
Gbajabiamila’s position followed the assertion of the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that the union will not support the proposed Student Loan Bank as proposed by the Student Loan Bill, sponsored by the Speaker because the previous attempt failed.
He said how to make a success of the law when signed into law by the President to ensure that the purpose it was intended to serve would not be defeated should be the focus of all well-meaning Nigerians.
Gbajabiamila said: “It is time for us to start thinking outside the box. It is time for us to start looking at international best practices.
“Nigeria is not isolated from the rest of the world, we borrow ideas from the rest of the world, just like they can borrow from Nigeria as well. And then we tweak those ideas to suit our peculiarities in our country. At the end of the day, we achieve more or less the same result.
“Like they say there’s more than one way to skin a cat, there are several ways to get to the final destination. And I believe this is what the Student Loan Bill is about.
“I don’t want us to go away from here with a cynical approach or defeatist attitude, that something happened some time way back, under a totally different kind of regime, not under a democratic setting, and therefore, if it happened many years ago, then the chances are that nine times out of 10, it will happen again, I don’t buy into that school of thought.
“I believe that you learned from the past. If something fails before, you look at the reasons why it failed, and then you try and perfect those reasons so that you get a better result. That’s what it’s all about. That’s what democracy is all about”.
According to Gbajabiamila, the Bill addressed issues of accountability, transparency and other administrative bottlenecks that might want to negate the essence of the initiative.
The Bill provides for a moratorium of two years after completion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) before repayment commences
According to him, as contained in the Bill, the beneficiary is also expected to have a civil servant as a guarantor who is at least 12 years in service or a lawyer with at least 10 years of experience, added.
In addition, the sponsor of the Bill said another provision embedded in it to guarantee transparency and accountability is that the loan, once approved is disbursed directly to the university and not in cash to the beneficiary to avoid it being used for purposes it was not meant for.
The application must be processed within 30 days of its submission to eliminate being compromised, Gbajabiamila noted while adding that beneficiaries that have been convicted by the court or those that previous loan default has been established against them would not be eligible for the loan.
Panellists at the summit commended the initiative of the Speaker that would ensure that access to tertiary education is made available to every Nigerian child.
After the presentation of a paper, titled Considering practical options for a National Education Loan system for students by, Dr. Abari, the panellists expressed optimism that the loan scheme is capable of solving funding challenges confronting Nigerian public tertiary institutions.
In his presentation, Abari noted that many countries have taken to Student Loan schemes already. adding that “Targeted at disadvantaged groups, subsidized loan schemes can lead to greater access of the poor to university education, thus contributing to improved social equity.
“And loans offered at favourable conditions for study in particular fields can lead to the loosening of skilled manpower bottlenecks that inhibit national and social development”.
While urging Nigeria to follow world best practices, Abari noted that the loan scheme has become necessary, saying, “A student loan scheme is the solution to the annual ASUU strikes. The introduction of tuition fees is inevitable due to the rising cost of infrastructure maintenance.
“Perhaps they might consider raising tuition while the Federal Government needs to establish a student loan scheme for students who cannot afford the new tuition.
“Nigeria’s Educational System is in need of repositioning, which will be expected to re-establish Nigeria as the true giant of Africa.
The panellist included Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, former Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos; Prof. Conrad Omonhinmin of the Covenant University; Oluwole Adeosun, President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers; and Dr. Idowu Chiazor, Centre Director, Brightpath International Academy among others, applauded the Bill.
They said the bourgeoning size of the Nigerian population has made full funding of tertiary education more difficult while an Education Loan bank provides the solution to the challenge of denying Nigerian children access to tertiary education due to lack of means.
Adeosun said to make it work and not go the way of previous experience, there must be a shift in management; widespread awareness; the loan must go to the deserving student, comprehensive supervision of the scheme; carefully designed interest rate; efficient collection mechanism to minimize default by beneficiaries; in addition to a stable management team of professionals.
Prof. Ogundipe said a database of students in the country is the first step into making it while recommending that beneficiaries must have guarantors with a pensionable job or retirement benefits.
Prof Omohinmi and Dr. Chiazor emphasized the need to ensure that when it comes on stream, it is not hijacked by people that have no connection with the scheme.
They also stated that means of productively engaging the beneficiaries once their studies are over to eliminate the issue of unwitting default must be put in place.
November 24, 2022
Gbajabiamila draws attention to challenges facing Nigerian universities
…OBJ, stakeholders offer solutions on funding, capacity building
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Gbajabiamila has reiterated the need for the repositioning of tertiary education in Nigeria.
This is as critical stakeholders in the nation’s tertiary education sector have urged Nigerians and the Federal government to consider alternative means of funding tertiary education in the country
According to him, the current state of tertiary education in the country has called for drastic to be taken if the future of the country is of any concern for Nigerians.
Gbajabiamila spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during the National Summit on Tertiary Education Reform organized by his office.
Critical stakeholders in the tertiary education sector including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, top government functionaries, academia and the private sector were represented at the summit
Noting that Nigeria’s greatest resource is neither her oil nor other abundant mineral deposits across the country but the Nigerian people, Gbajabiamila said events of the last few months have called for a rethink about how to adequately equip and empower the Nigerian child in a globalizing world.
He said: “Our cause is more than to seek solutions to the challenges of tertiary education in Nigeria. In fact, we are here today on a mission to save Nigeria.
“A just society cannot guarantee its citizens equal outcomes any more than a doctor can promise eternal good health. What we can, and must do, is ensure all our citizens are afforded equal opportunities to succeed or fail on their own. For Nigeria to reach its potential and achieve the greatness we are capable of, we must invest in our people.
“In this generation, social, economic and political development is, and will continue to be powered by advancements in information and communication technologies.
“We must provide the resources to modernise and improve our education infrastructure and provide the right training for young people from primary through tertiary education. This goes to the heart of our survival as a nation and as a people.
“Allow me this morning to speak the truth as I see it so that together we can agree on what we need to do to overcome. Time was when the tertiary institutions in our country were centres of excellence, comparable to the best institutions elsewhere in the world. There was a time when our brothers and sisters from across Africa and even farther away sought out our institutions, and we welcomed them in droves. That time is no more.
“It used to be that a student admitted to the university knew the date of their graduation and graduated on that day. And it once was that a career in academia guaranteed stable employment and an honourable quality of life. For the most part, all of these now exist as memories of a distant past. But it really wasn’t so long ago”.
According to him, the summit hopes to offer enduring solutions to the perennial challenges confronting Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. “This National Summit on Tertiary Education Reform (NSTER) is the manifestation of our commitment in the 9th House of Representatives to engender a national conversation to consider bold ideas and radical innovations to restructure and reform public tertiary education in Nigeria.
“How do we ensure that every child born in Nigeria in this generation and hereafter can compete favourably in an ever-changing world? This is the defining issue of our age. And the answer is simple, we do it by providing a quality education that empowers the mind to ask hard questions and accept complicated solutions.
“We do it by training our people to revel in the inquiry, embrace complexity and not be afraid of knotty problems. Education is the silver bullet that eliminates poverty and lack; it presents hope and confidence and reduces violence and strife.
“Therefore, the central public policy challenge is the conflict between the competing objectives of access and quality. How do we fund a quality tertiary education without imposing costs that make access to quality education impossible for most people?
“I don’t have the answer to that question. I have my own ideas, and I have, as a legislator, sought to advance those ideas through the legislative policy process. In 2019, I sponsored, and the House of Representatives passed the Students Loan (Access to Higher Education) Bill to provide access to education financing for students who qualify. That Bill is in the Senate, awaiting concurrence.
“We hope it will get to the President before the expiration of this administration. But a framework of student loans is only one idea. I believe there are many more. This summit aims to provide an opportunity for all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to present those ideas for consideration, examination, debate and, eventually, action”.
Gbajabiamila however assured that the summit will not be an exercise in futility while urging the participants to be bold and truthful in their submission, saying, “The conversations we hold at this Summit and the submissions we have received will form the basis of a policy action plan and implementation framework we will unveil shortly after the conclusion of the summit.
“Additionally, a journal of all the submissions will be published as a guide and reference for the future”.
Panellists at the summit were in unison that the prevailing realities have made it expedient for the government and academics to review their positions if tertiary education in the country must be rescued from going into extinction.
Former President Obasanjo said it is incumbent on society to ensure that no child is denied basic education due to lack of means and must be kept in school till the conclusion of secondary education.
He said as part of the solution, the over 20 million Nigerian out-of-school children must be returned to school as a starting point if Nigeria is hoping to avoid a future catastrophe occasioned by the over 20 million denied education.
He however emphasized that tertiary education must be paid for. While commending the Speaker for the initiative of Gbajabiamila’s Student Loan Bill as its passage into law would ensure indigent students are given an opportunity.
The former president also expressed skepticism over corruption issues that may thwart access to the loan by those who genuinely need it thereby defeating the essence of the Law.
Former president Obasanjo’s position was backed by Prof. Hillary Edoaga, former Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and Prof. Tukur Sa’ad, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Technology, Minna.
Prof. Edoaga noted that the government should provide the basic funding for the maintenance of the institutions while adding that Nigerians should be ready to pay for tertiary education.
Prof. Sa’ad, who said the government should hand off the running of the universities, noted that the government must understand that Universities have laws governing them and act accordingly.
He urged the government to make the composition of the Governing Councils of the institutions truly representative of what it should be and not dominated by government representatives.
He also urged the institutions to be innovative and creative in the generation of internal revenue to mitigate their spending.
On his part, Prof Temitayo Ogundipe, in addition to the need for the payment of obligatory fees for tertiary education, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, said universities should explore a comprehensive partnership with the private sector for investment in tertiary education.
He also submitted that the government should hand off accommodation issues to allow universities to take total administrative control of accommodation.
Saying that such a move would free up government funds for other pressing demands, Ogundipe noted that as it currently stands, accommodation fees charged by the government pale into insignificance when compared with the expenses and funds accruing to the institutions from the government.
The summit continues on Wednesday.
November 23, 2022
Gbajabiamila Seeks Urgent Measures to Maximize Nigeria’s Population
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that Nigeria needs to urgently harness and maximize the advantages of its changing population structure.
He said governments at all levels must identify and be deliberate in taking actions that must be sustained in order to maximize the advantages of the changing population structure.
Gbajabiamila spoke in Abuja on Monday at an event titled, “Parliamentary Summit on Fast-Tracking Nigeria’s Demographic Transition”, organized by his office in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC) with support from the World Bank.
Stakeholders at the summit included members of the House of Representatives; the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; Minister of State for Budget and Planning, Clement Agba, who was represented; the Emir of Shonga, His Royal Highness Dr. Haliru Yahaya; Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze; World Bank Country Director, Shubham Chaudhuri; Executive Director, Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL); Development Director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Country Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ulla Mueller, who was represented; as well as the Deputy for Training, Research & Development NPFPB BKKBN, Indonesia, Prof. Rizal Damanik, who shared the Indonesian experience on demographic transition virtually.
Notwithstanding, he noted that Nigeria could not afford to be complacent about the issue of demographic transition as that could be fatal in future if action was not taken now.
The Speaker stated, “It has been sixteen years since Nigeria’s last population and housing census. Our data about our population today is mainly based on projections and estimates rather than actual census data. What we do know for sure is that Nigeria has a significant and growing youth bulge in our population. And we also know that whether this fact turns out to be a good thing or a tragedy for our nation depends on the policy choices we make today and the actions we take now.
“Specifically, we are here to discuss the demographic dividend, that is, the growth in an economy that accrues as a result of a change in the age structure of a country’s population. To achieve this growth, we must consider deliberate, immediate and sustained action to drive a demographic transition that makes economic growth more attainable.
”This summit is an opportunity for policymakers and stakeholders to become acquainted with the twin ideas of demographic dividend and demographic transition. It is expected that participants in this summit will emerge from this summit with greater clarity about the facts of our nation’s population size, the challenges of unmanaged growth and the opportunities that can arise from implementing a sensible national population management policy.
The Speaker also called on stakeholders and policymakers to be mindful of people’s diverse socio-cultural leanings while deliberating on actionable steps to be taken to address the issue, adding, “Conversations about population management can quickly become controversial when cultural and religious beliefs appear to conflict with the policy choices being proposed and considered.
“History is replete with instances of bad actors offering and, in some cases, implementing population management methods that appall the mind and offend the conscience of all. It is of the utmost importance that our conversations here consider these concerns and make commensurate plans to ensure they remain unfounded”.
The stakeholders, including CSOs and development partners in their goodwill messages, were all in agreement on the urgent need to fast-track all steps being taken and to be taken to ensure that the movement of the Nigerian population from an ageing population to a vibrant youthful population should not be handled with levity.
It was advised that Nigeria could emulate Indonesia’s model of addressing the issue since the Nigerian population as currently structured was bound to be on the increase.
According to the stakeholders, since the emerging youth population is an asset that can drive the dividends of demographic transition, the government must pay special attention to empowering the girl-child by making her stay in school and acquire the necessary skills beneficial to her immediate community.
They also called for a national framework on population demographics, appropriate legislation and adequate funding of the NPC to fully carry out its mandate periodically.
Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji of the NPC, in his presentation, ‘Milestones in DD agenda in Nigeria’, noted that Nigeria started addressing the issue of population growth and movement early being one of the first countries to launch a road map as early as 2017.
However, he warned that complacency should be avoided as that may prove fatal considering that signs of a miscarriage of the steps being taken are getting ominous.
The Emir of Shonga, HRH Dr. Yahaya who said the girl child must be given focus, urged that the traditional institution, with its influence at the grassroots should be fully involved in the implementation of actions to be taken towards deriving maximum dividends from demographic transition.
The development partners pledged their readiness to continue to assist Nigeria in addressing the issue at stake.
November 21, 2022
Gbajabiamila mourns Lagos Chief of Staff’s wife
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has commiserated with the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, over his wife’s death.
Gbajabiamila said he was shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Princess Adedoyin Raliat Ayinde, whom he described as a young woman who was committed to the service of humanity.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker sent his condolences to the Ayinde family, the government, and the people of Lagos State over the irreparable loss.
Gbajabiamila prayed that God grant the soul of Princess Adedoyin Raliat eternal rest and give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.
November 14, 2022
Why ASUU may not get full salary payment – Gbajabiamila
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has indicated that the Federal Government may not fully pay university lecturers for the eighth months that the Academic Staff Union of Universities was on strike.
Gbajabiamila, in a statement issued on Monday, said the President Muhammadu Buhari was being awaited to approved the proposal of “partial” payment presented to him.
Titled, ‘Statement by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on the Resolution of Outstanding Issues between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government of Nigeria,’ it read, “When the Academic Staff Union of Universities called off their industrial action three weeks ago, it meant that academic activities could resume in our nation’s public universities, and students could return to their academic pursuits after the prolonged interruption. This decision was rightly heralded nationwide as the correct decision.
“Since then, the Executive and the House of Representatives have worked to address the issues that led to the strike. We are currently working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill, which includes the sum of N170,000,000,000 to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers. The bill also includes additional N300,000,000,000 in revitalisation funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.
“Furthermore, the House of Representatives has convened the Accountant General of the Federation, the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System. This effort is being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.
“The Executive position that it is not obligated to pay salaries to adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System. This effort is being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.
“The Executive position that it is not obligated to pay salaries to lecturers for the time spent on strike is premised on the law and the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions. Nonetheless, interventions have been made to explore the possibility of partial payments to the lecturers. We look forward to a favourable consideration by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who has manifested his desire to what is prudent and necessary to resolve all outstanding issues.
“Implementing meaningful change takes time, especially when appropriations and modifications to systems such as IPPIS are required. Therefore, I urge all parties to be patient and grant each other the presumption of goodwill to the extent necessary to achieve our shared objectives. This is not a time for political brinkmanship. There is no more pressing objective than to preclude the possibility of further disruptions to the academic calendar of the universities. We must prevent this possibility by all means, as these disruptions risk the promise and potential of our nation’s youth.”
November 8, 2022