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Drama as Gbajabiamila, Wase Publicly Disagree During Plenary
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, was left fuming after his deputy, Idris Wase, confronted him over the sitting of the House.
Mr Gbajabiamila on Wednesday directed that the agenda on the Order Paper be few to allow him attend the commissioning of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies.
He stated that Thursday’s session must not exceed 2 p.m. to allow him to attend the event.
“Chairman Business and Rules, let’s make the order paper light for tomorrow because we have this — it is very important — the permanent site of the NILDS. It is at 2:30. So it will be good we close by 2pm,” he said.
But his deputy challenged his decision, noting that the House cannot afford to be waiting time on commission while the business of the House is left undone.
“We have lost quite a number of periods of time. For the commissioning of projects for God’s sake, why do we have to shelve a lot of activities that we have just to go and witness the commissioning of a project of NILDS? I want to beg sir that we should do our functions,” he said.
Mr Gbajabiamila was left fuming as he noted that no deputy speaker has ever challenged the speaker.
“Mr deputy speaker, this is the first time in history. I have been in this house for many years, perhaps even longer than anybody here. This is the first time in history that a deputy speaker will challenge what the speaker is saying,” he said.
This fight may not be unconnected with the speculation that Mr Wase is leading other aggrieved members to impeach Gbajabiamila.
It would be recalled that Mr Gbajabiamila is backing Tajudeen Abbas for the speaker of the House
May 24, 2023
Gbajabiamila celebrates David Mark at 75
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has extolled a former President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator David Mark, on his 75th birthday.
The speaker, who recalled David Mark’s days as the President of the Nigerian Senate for eight unbroken years, noted that the Benue politician has served Nigeria in different capacities diligently.
Gbajabiamila stated that David Mark’s period as the Number 3 Citizen was one of the finest moments in the history of the Nigerian Senate, as he used his leadership style to stabilise the Red Chamber and unite senators.
As the military governor of Niger State from 1989 to 1990, Gbajabiamila noted that David Mark served with patriotism and dedication.
He said over the years, Distinguished Senator David Mark has proven to be a fine gentleman and a Democrat whose credentials speak volumes.
Gbajabiamila prayed to God to continue to guide and protect Distinguished Senator David Mark and his family and grant him more wisdom and good health.
April 7, 2023
9th Assembly’s efforts ensured marked improvements in 2023 elections – Gbajabiamila
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that an objective assessment of the 2023 general elections would show marked improvements from previous elections held in the country.
Gbajabiamila noted that the improvements in the polls were necessitated by the amendments to the Electoral Act made by the 9th Assembly.
In an address to welcome members back from the election break, Gbajabiamila commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their hard work and commitment during the polls.
He said: “The 2023 general elections have effectively come to an end, with the exception of those areas where the electoral body has declared elections inconclusive or scheduled reruns. As I said two weeks ago, this has been a hard-fought election season.
“Expectedly, the declaration of results will not by itself suffice to assuage the passions or calm the tensions aroused by this electoral competition. For that, we need time and the deliberate efforts of political, religious, social, and economic leaders acting in recognition of the fact that while elections will come and go, our highest imperative remains the progress of Nigeria and the prosperity of her people.
“I wish to thank the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all the staff of the commission for their hard work and commitment to ensuring free and fair elections across the country. I wish to also express my gratitude to the men and women of the security agencies who ensured the worst predictions of crises and conflict did not come to pass.
“Any objective assessment of these elections will show marked improvements from prior outings. This is not to suggest perfection but to acknowledge evident progress in our collective efforts to ensure elections we can all be proud of.
“Amendments to our nation’s electoral laws by the legislature, pronouncements by the judiciary, and operational reforms by the electoral commission have significantly improved elections in Nigeria since 1999.
“The amendments to the Electoral Act by the 9th National Assembly have been particularly instrumental in improving the election process through the use of technology tools to facilitate voter accreditation and transmission of results.”
Gbajabiamila said the process of ongoing reform in the nation’s electoral system and continuous improvement must continue. He called on INEC to collaborate with stakeholders to conduct a meticulous assessment of the election process.
He said the House must take action on the Electoral Offences Commission Bill before the expiration of the current session “to ensure effective enforcement against individuals and organisations whose violations of our electoral laws undermine our constitution and threaten our democracy.
“A system of vigorous prosecution and punishment of electoral offenders will serve as a deterrent to others in the future and help build confidence in our elections.”
On the amendments to the constitution signed last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, the speaker said “they advance the cause of our federation, bringing us closer to achieving our highest national ambitions.”
He listed the amendments to include consequential reforms to the design and operations of the Nigerian state, particularly with regards to the devolution of powers to the states and strengthening the judiciary and legislature at the subnational level.
“Whilst these amendments represent a significant step forward for our country, the work is not yet done because nation-building is a continuum. Each new generation must build on the efforts of the past until, by our common endeavour, we achieve a just, peaceful, and prosperous society.
“We fell short this time in our commitment to ensuring political empowerment and representation for women and other marginalised groups in our country. In the time we have left, we will work to understand why, as a first step towards ensuring the success of subsequent efforts”, Speaker Gbajabiamila added.
He noted that, “our national priorities must return to the issues of governance, ensuring that the institutions of government work towards the ends of development, national security, and the welfare of the Nigerian people.
“As representatives of the people, this is our highest obligation; it is a duty that persists so long as we hold office in the government of our republic. I am confident that all of us in the 9th House of Representatives recognise this and will continue to act accordingly, as we have always done.”
March 21, 2023
Gbajabiamila mourns victims of Lagos train accident
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has described as regrettable the accident involving a train and a BRT bus in Ikeja, Lagos.
The speaker, who said the accident was avoidable, expressed grief that innocent lives of people going about their legitimate business were lost during the incident.
He sent his condolences to the families of the victims, the people and Government of Lagos State over the incident.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of those that lost their lives and quick recovery for the injured.
March 9, 2023
ASUU: Gbajabiamila calls for Calm
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 (ASUU)
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA.
Monday, 7th November 2022
1. When the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) 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.
2. 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 one hundred and seventy billion naira (N170,000,000,000.00) to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of University lecturers. The Bill also includes additional three hundred billion naira (N300,000,000,000.00) in revitalisation funds to improve the
  infrastructure and operations of federal universities.
3. Furthermore, the House of Representatives has 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Three weeks ago, I called for a national conversation on the
  substantive reforms required to address the underlying issues
  bedevilling public tertiary education in Nigeria. To that end, the House of Representatives is convening a National Summit on Tertiary Education Reform. We have called for papers and memoranda from members of the public. The submissions we receive and expert presentations at the Summit will inform our policy recommendations and actions. I urge all citizens and
  stakeholders to participate in this crucial effort to reinvent our public tertiary institutions into respected citadels of learning.
7. God bless and keep you all, and God bless our Federal Republic of Nigeria.
REP. FEMI GBAJABIAMILA
Speaker, House of Representatives
November 7, 2022
Strike: Gbajabiamila moves to Consolidate ASUU, FG Agreement on Payment Platform
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has reiterated the determination of the House to ensure the implementation of the latest agreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government to eliminate the possibility of another industrial action by the union.
This emerged on Monday during a reconciliation meeting convened by Speaker Gbajabiamila between the leadership of ASUU and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) where the Speaker emphasized that everything must be done to prevent lecturers from resuming the suspended strike action.
While thanking the ASUU leadership and the striking lecturers for returning to class based on trust from the intervention of the House, Gbajabiamila said the purpose of the days meeting was to strike an understanding between ASUU and the AGF on the implementation of the agreement to accommodate the peculiarities of lecturers into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), being a critical aspect of the agreement that led to the call-off of the 8-month strike by ASUU.
He said: “I thank you (ASUU) for the shifting base, as we asked you to, I thank you for the compromises that you made. We are here as an institution to make sure that whatever we had agreed is implemented as best as possible, if not to the letter.
“The main issue for discussion today, which was one of the major areas of conflict, was the issue of the payment platform. Whether or not, or how to deal with the issue of UTAS as opposed to IPPIS.
“If you recollect on that issue, we did agree that we will marry both, whilst IPPIS will remain the platform, that the government will bring in the aspects and the areas under UTAS that are specific to the universities and assimilate those areas into IPPIS, I believe that was what was agreed by both sides when we had our last two meetings.”
“We want to make sure that the box is ticked, and that it is not just an agreement on paper or that we said it for the purposes of moving towards the cancellation of the strike.”
Responding to queries from the Speaker, the AGF, Okolieaboh Sylva disclosed that his office was ready to work with the delegation from ASUU to implement the agreement.
He also revealed that it would likely take three months to clear the critical payment issues regarding the accommodation of the UTAS peculiarities into IPPIS.
On his part, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke said ASUU is ready to be part of the payment system accommodation process while aligning with the set timeline for its completion.
The Speaker urged the ASUU leadership to have faith in the intervention and inclusion of the leadership of the House in the implementation of the new agreement with the government.
Gbajabiamila assured that the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education would be involved in the process leading to the implementation of the agreement.
October 25, 2022
Again, Gbajabiamila, House leadership meet Head of Service, others over ASUU strike
In continuation of the efforts to find solutions to the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Speaker of the House of Representatives alongside his deputy Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase and other leaders of the House on Thursday met with the Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Mrs Folashade Yemi-Esan, the chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, among other government officials.
The meeting was a follow up to an earlier one the Speaker held with ASUU officials on Tuesday, where issues related to the strike were discussed.
The outcome of Tuesday’s meeting led the House leadership to invite the Head of Service, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the Accountant General of the Federation, among others.
At Thursday’s meeting, NITDA told the House leadership that the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (U3PS) failed its integrity tests regarding the university payroll, which the agency conducted between March and JUNE this year.
A NITDA official at the meeting told the House leadership that the government directed the agency to test UTAS in October, 2020, and that the platform failed the two integrity tests conducted on it.
He said following the first test, ASUU was asked to go back and review, which it did. Yet, the platform did not meet NITDA’s requirements the second time.
For the third time, NITDA was then asked to conduct tests on UTAS, IPPIS and U3PS, which the official said all the three platforms failed its requirements regarding the payroll system of universities.
Not satisfied with the explanation, Speaker Gbajabiamila asked if NITDA advised the government to take action on the lapses found on IPPIS, which has been in operation by government since 2011. But the NITDA official said they were not in a position to do that.
Gbajabiamila also asked if NITDA queried IPPIS platform, to which the official responded in the negative.
The Deputy Speaker Wase also expressed reservations at NITDA’s action, saying it ought to have advised government on the appropriate action to take in view of its discovery on IPPIS.
However, the Head of Service, in her explanation, said the ministry of communications and digital economy wrote her office following NITDA’s observations about IPPIS on the need to take a holistic look at the platform and that a committee was empaneled to carry out the assignment.
She also noted that IPPIS is not just a payment platform but that it also has a human resource component, which all government agencies have been directed to activate, noting that all those directly under her purview have since complied.
Also, the chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Mr Nta, told the House leadership that in view of the general agitation in the tertiary education sector, the agency advised the government to look at the possibility of increasing the salaries of the staff in the entire sector, comprising universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
He said, however, that at the end of the day, the government decided to increase the salaries of lecturers in the universities by a certain percentage, while professors were considered for higher percentage.
He said he was not aware of any agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU for salary increment.
Also speaking at the meeting, the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Sylva Okolieaboh, said under no circumstance should employees dictate to their employers how they should be paid, faulting ASUU’s insistence on UTAS.
After hours of deliberations, the Speaker suggested that a further follow-up meeting with ASUU officials be held on Thursday next week, which the stakeholders subscribed to. The meeting was, therefore, adjourned to Thursday next week.
September 22, 2022
Gbajabiamila name semblance doesn’t translate to Family, says Reps Speaker
…advises the public to be wary of name-dropping and misrepresentation
It has come to the attention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila that one Suleimon who is standing trial in a court of law in Lagos State is erroneously described as a brother to the Speaker.
Speaker Gbajabiamila wishes to state that he has no relationship whatsoever with the said Suleimon and the Gbajabiamila name semblance does not and should not translate to being a family member. The Gbajabiamila family is a big one with many branches like many other families do have. Therefore, it is not everyone that bears the surname Gbajabiamila that is related to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
The general public is hereby notified that the said Suleimon is not a brother to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila as erroneously reported by some sections of the media. Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila advises members of the public not to fall for persons thriving on name-dropping and misrepresentation.
This press statement is to also urge the media to desist from linking the said Suleimon to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila.
July 20, 2022
Buhari, Tinubu, Elumelu, others eulogise Gbajabiamila at book launch on speaker’s political journey
…Legislative mentorship opens for young Nigerians
President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other notable personalities have showered accolades on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, describing him as an exemplary patriotic leader.
They said the speaker had demonstrated capacity in his political journey, asking him to remain consistent and relentless in service to Nigeria.
They spoke in Abuja at the weekend during the presentation of a book, ‘Mr Speaker,’ authored by Dr Charles Omole and Mr Musa Abdullahi Krishi, chronicles the “legislative life, service and resilience of Femi Gbajabiamila.”
The event, a two-in-one, was also for the unveiling of the ‘Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI)’ piloted by Gbajabiamila to mentor young Nigerians on a career in politics, particularly grooming them for legislative roles in the Nigeria of the future.
The weekend event, which was part of the activities to mark the Speaker’s 60th birthday, was chaired by a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and graced by dignitaries drawn from the public and private sectors of Nigeria as well as diplomatic and international human development support groups.
Buhari, represented by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, described Gbajabiamila as a “true patriot”, who “is passionate about Nigeria.”
He stated that having watched the speaker’s political growth over the years, he had come to the conclusion that Gbajabiamila is “an astute legislator who wants a peaceful, united Nigeria to grow.”
The President praised the Speaker for his concept of ‘parliamentary diplomacy’, which had helped the Executive arm to resolve certain knotty issues, and the harmony that had existed between the two arms of government since 2019.
On his part, Tinubu, while appreciating Gbajabiamila, recalled how the speaker learnt fast in his early days as a politician, in spite of the tough terrain he found himself in back then in Surulere, Lagos State.
The APC presidential candidate noted that because of Gbajabiamila’s willingness to learn, he was able to turn his initial reluctance into an unstoppable politician.
“Politics is very rough and I told Femi. He would complain from morning and hours. Later on, he got used to it, but he never stopped complaining about one thing or another.
“As Minority Leader, he was always there to see to the thinking of the opposition to defeat the PDP. He had to brainstorm on strategies… Femi is a workaholic”, he added
Tinubu narrated how he almost cried when Gbajabiamila lost in his first attempt to be the speaker in 2015, but said, “I told him, ‘stamp your feet, never give up.’ Then he fought hard.”
He thanked Gbajabiamila for being a good ally, wishing him well to aspire to occupy any position in the country, having demonstrated enough capacity to lead.
The Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu, who was the Chief Presenter of the book, said Gbajabiamila remained “a man we have all come to love and admire.”
“He is extremely outstanding and humble, and this is why his friends have all come to celebrate with him. We must all begin to show interest in how we are governed and how laws are made”, he stated.
One of the Speaker’s former colleagues and member of the PDP, Rep. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, was also on hand to testify to Gbajabiamila’s legislative expertise.
“Femi worked the House like no one could. Femi did more to ensure that Nigerians fell out of love with PDP. I wasn’t surprised he became speaker, and so far he has been absolutely wonderful”, she told the session.
Speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Osoba, wished the Speaker well, saying, “Gbajabiamila is going to clock 100 years. I thank him for his service to this country. I pray you will become the Nancy Pelosi of Nigeria. Gbajabiamila deserves to be given that type of support to be a Pelosi of Nigeria.”
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Catriona Laing, congratulated Gbajabiamila for coordinating the 9th House effectively, leading to the passing of important bills, especially the Electoral Act, 2022.
Making his remarks, Gbajabiamila, who turned 60 on June 25, expressed gratitude to God for his life and his humble contribution to governance in Nigeria.
He thanked all those who had shaped his political journey, and also hailed Omole and Krishi for putting that historical journey down in a permanent form.
He went on, “Our lives are a gift, and all our stories are important simply because we are. Therefore, it is just as important that we try to tell our own stories for their own sake. And I hope that, if nothing else, the work that the authors have done here will inspire many of you to begin writing your own history.”
Among the dignitaries present was The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha; the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman/Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; his Kebbi state counterpart/APC Governors’ Forum Chairman, Atiku Bagudu; Kwara State Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi; Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa; Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, as well as the Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Chukwuemeka Woke.
Captains of industry present included betting mogul, Kensington Adebutu; airline operator, Dahiru Mangal, who was represented by former Head of Service, Bukar Goni; while Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola and Abdul Samad Rabiu were all represented.
June 27, 2022
Gbajabiamila greets Chief Ebenezer Obey at 80
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has congratulated music maestro, Chief Ebenezer Obey, on his 80th birthday.
The speaker said Chief Obey has in the past decades used his genre of music to bring happiness to many Nigerian homes.
Gbajabiamila was delighted that the juju music ace is marking his 80th birthday in high spirit, noting that Chief Obey is a role model to many upcoming stars.
He said Chief Obey’s contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry are legion, especially considering his positive influence among his colleagues.
The speaker wished Chief Obey more years in good health and increased wisdom from the Almighty.
April 3, 2022