Tag: Gbajabiamila

…to visit families of late victims…says won’t sign budget without adequate provision to compensate victims, police welfare
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday rolled out more action plans of the Green Chamber for wholesale reforms of the  Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
The Speaker, in an address at the commencement of Tuesday’s plenary, said two weeks from now, the House will receive and immediately begin to consider legislation that seeks to establish a system of independent, responsive accountability in the police.
He said the system would hold erring members of the Police Force to account for their conduct in the performance of their duties and impose civil and criminal liability for violations of the law and the Police regulations.
Additionally, he said, it would ensure that officers who engage in unauthorised, unlawful use of force are expelled from office and subject to the full penalty of the law as well as prohibit, with severe penalties, the practice of using illegal incarceration as a cudgel to extort law-abiding citizens of their hard-earned resources.
He also declared that he would not sign off the 2021 budget without adequate provision for the compensation of the victims, the welfare of police officers and ASUU. 
“We will establish a system of citizen-led accountability for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) because in the democracy we have set out to build, the police are not above the citizenry, they are servants of the people. The police are not above the law; they are its guardians.
“As we endeavour to hold our nation’s police to higher standards of personal and professional conduct, we must also make sure that we provide for the welfare of the men and women to whom we assign such significant responsibilities in our collective interest,” Gbajabiamila said.
In achieving the above, the Speaker noted, the House is already collaborating with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Gbajabiamila also announced that in the next one week, he, along with some members of the House, would visit the families of those that lost their lives to SARS brutality.
He also declared that he would not sign off the 2021 budget without adequate provision for the compensation of the victims, the welfare of police officers and ASUU. 
“As Speaker of this House of Representatives, let me say now for the records to reflect, and in the expectation that I would be held to account: I will not sign off on a 2021 Budget that does not include adequate provisions to compensate those who have suffered violence and brutality at the hands of the police in Nigeria in the last two decades.
“I will not sign off on a budget that does not include provisions to fund improvements in police training and welfare.
“I will not sign off on a budget that does not meet the reasonable demands of the ASUU, to which Government has already acceded. There is no better time to rethink the system of funding for higher education in Nigeria. The current system does a great disservice to our children and our country, and we must commit to changing it so that we can free our institutions of higher learning to be citadels where innovation thrives, and excellence is a given.
“With my colleagues in the House of Representatives, I will visit over the next week, some of the families of those who have lost loved ones to police brutality and when we come back, we will work together to honour the memory of those we have lost.
“The House of Representatives will pass an Electoral Reform Bill in time for the next general elections so that we may continue to improve the process of electing our political representatives at all levels.
“I will support the amendment of the constitution to ensure that the provisions on fundamental human rights have teeth, resource control is dealt with equitably and that the next generation of Nigerians does not inherit evident dysfunctions of our current system.”
He also called on the protesting youth to tarry a while and give the government the opportunity to attend to their demands.
“​To the young people across Nigeria who have led these protests, whose call for change has brought about this historical moment, you are the midwives of national rebirth. You have moved a nation to action, and now you must join in doing the hard work of making real the vision of a more just, more prosperous, and more resilient nation.
“​We see your true cause. Please do not allow your righteous cause to be hijacked by those with base motives, who see in this moment an opportunity to pursue vendettas, to spread division, exploit the many existing fissures that exist in our society and bring our nation to its knees.
“You have raised your voices and marched to demand a better Nigeria. From Abuja to Washington, to Calgary and London, your voices have been heard. Do not allow anybody to convince you that to withdraw from the streets now is to concede defeat.
“This is the time to move your agitation from the chaos of the streets to the painstaking deliberations and strategic partnerships that birth policy and produce legislation. It is time to mobilise your voices in support of specific policy interventions that will deliver on our shared objectives of national renewal and a country that reflects the best of us. I thank you, your country thanks you, and history will be kind to you.”

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, is to lead a delegation of members to the homes of victims of police brutality.

The House is also to dedicate a day at a special plenary session to honour the memories of the victims.

The Speaker disclosed this in a statement he read at Tuesday plenary.

He appealed to the protesting youths to sheathed their sword and allow the government’s take necessary steps towards meeting their demands.

He assured the protesters adequate compensation would be provided for victims of extrajudicial killings in the 2021 budget.

He is also confident that the demands of the Academic Staff union of universities which led to the closure of universities will be taken care of in the expected financial plan.

Femi Gbajabiamila also said the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will be passed early enough to enable the nation have an election that is truly representative of the people’s wishes.

…says answer to Nigeria’s development questions lies in new constitution
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has asked the Special Committee on Constitution Review of the House to engage as many voices as possible in the course of its work.
Gbajabiamila said the committee, headed by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase, should also consider the expectations of different interest groups among Nigerians.
Inaugurating the committee at the National Assembly on Thursday, the Speaker said the House is determined to come up with a constitution that addresses most of the current challenges facing the country.
“Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of this Committee, I do not envy the enormous amount of work you have in front of you. However, I know you have an abundant capacity to execute this important assignment and deliver on our joint commitments to the Nigerian people.
“I encourage you during this assignment to seek out and listen to as many voices as possible. Engage with as many interest groups as possible, reject misinformation, document the stories of our people, consider their expectations.
“Let the work you do demonstrate that this House of Representatives is fully capable of reflecting the most urgent concerns of the Nigerian people and acting in their best interests. I am confident that you will act judiciously and produce for the consideration of the House of Representatives, a quality report we can implement expeditiously,” he said.
The Speaker said the House is commencing the “constitutional review process at a time of great and ongoing upheaval in our country.
“New challenges emerge daily from every corner. Some of these challenges are of our own making, and others, we could not have foreseen or been prepared for.
“Whichever may be the case, the Nigerian people look up to us as government to proffer solutions that work, to do the heavy lifting of writing a new constitution, one better suited to our current aspirations and reflecting our vision of the future.”
He said when the House updated its Legislative Agenda two months ago, one thing that was made abundantly clear during the preparation of the document was that “the answer to many of our development questions lies in the pages of a new Nigerian constitution.”
“When you ask me what the state of our nation is, the honest answer is this: we are in a fight for the very survival of our country and the continuation of the Nigerian project. Recent global developments have exposed all our systemic weaknesses so that we can no longer pretend to ourselves that things are on an even keel and slow progress is enough to get us to where we ought to be yet are still so far away from. 
“This 9th House of Representatives has since committed to the cause of reform. Our commitment must neither waver nor wane on the matter of thoughtful and fair overhaul of our nation’s constitution.
“The reality of our current circumstances and the now certain knowledge that only we can save ourselves imposes on us an obligation to act with greater determination and all the urgency this moment calls for.”
Noting that “the ongoing evolution of our nation’s democracy requires of us that we continually review and update the rules of our engagement,” Gbajabiamila said, “Every election season exposes significant gaps in the process that if left unaddressed, threaten our democracy.”
For this, the Speaker noted, the House would, through the constitution review process, ensure electoral reforms that would address the challenges in the electoral system.
“Electoral reforms are not a party-political issue, they are a matter of loyalty to an ideal that is greater than the party to which one belongs to, or the personal ambitions we may each hold.
“Electoral reforms are a matter of our nation’s future, and the process of setting out systems and protocols for managing how we choose our leaders and representatives begins with the Constitution. We must keep this in mind as we begin this process.”
On the #EndSARS protests going on for over a week in parts of the country, the Speaker said: “In addition to whatever other changes that may be caused by these protests, they have exposed the stinking underbelly of our nation’s policing system.”
With that, he said, “We now understand better why our federal police is often unable to effectively respond to the localised manifestations of insecurity across the different parts of our country.
“The simple truth is that we have a police that doesn’t have the trust of the people, and a policing system that doesn’t make for productive partnerships between the police and the communities they serve. However, for those of us who are out there, we must be careful not to lose the plot.
“The Inspector-General of Police has heard you and he has spoken. The House has spoken, even before now, and continues to speak. The President has been unequivocal and spoke clearly. It is now time to sit back and see what happens.
“I believe the Hand of God is on this Nation. The point has been made, and the Government in all its layers has responded. Let us sit back and see if the Government does what it has committed to do. Which I have all assurances, and as your Speaker I pass these assurances on to you. 
“Honourable colleagues, overcoming our overwhelming national security challenges now requires of us all that we be willing to accept new approaches and consider novel ideas. Neither the security institutions nor political leaders can afford to hold on too tightly to a status quo whose frustrating limitations are painfully evident, whilst reflexively rejecting innovations that may improve our fortunes if properly implemented.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday commissioned a Covid-19 testing centre at the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila said the idea behind having a Covid-19 testing centre within the National Assembly is for the over 4,000 people working in the federal legislature to easily get tested.
He said by the nature of their work, relating with people from different places, it was imperative for lawmakers and their staff to have the Covid-19 test.
The Speaker urged lawmakers, especially members of the House, their aides, the staff of the National Assembly and other support staff to ensure that they get tested as they now have a testing centre closer to them.
He thanked the chairman of the ad-hoc committee on Covid-19, Rep. Haruna Mshelia, and the management of the National Assembly as well as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for their efforts in establishing the centre.
Earlier, the chairman of the House Covid-19 Adhoc panel, Mshelia, said the centre was established following the directive by the Speaker to do so.
He noted that his panel received the support of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, the NCDC and the National Assembly in making the testing centre become a reality.
Giving the votes of thanks, the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Arc. Ojo Amos Olatunde, thanked all those that made the centre come to fruition, especially the Speaker.
Signed:Lanre Lasisi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The House of Representatives would ensure that it appropriates funds for the compensation of the victims of the #EndSARS protests, Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said.
Gbajabiamila said the action would be in line with the House resolve to ensure that the lives of those reportedly killed during the protests in parts of the country did not go in vain.
To get them compensated, the Speaker said, the House would obtain the list of all the victims and use the 2021 budget process to get them compensated through their families.
Commenting on the dissolution of SARS by President Muhammadu Buhari during Tuesday’s plenary, Gbajabiamila said the Nigerian people have spoken and that the government listened.
He said the House had reached some resolutions last week on the brutality of SARS officers and that it was gladdening that the unit has been disbanded.
“The people that we represent have spoken, and the government has listened. The President has unequivocally dissolved SARS.
“The House had last week reached some resolutions on the issue. It shows that we’re on the same page with the Nigerian people.
“We should get the list of those that lost their lives so that during this budget process, we’ll be able to appropriate for their full compensation,” the Speaker said.
Gbajabiamila also noted that the House must keep to one of the resolutions it reached last week, which said the Green Chamber would immediately commence the legislative process of reforming the Nigeria Police.
He indicated that a proposed legislation would soon be tabled on the floor of the House on that.
It is for the above purpose that the leadership of the House would meet with the national leadership of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) on Wednesday, the Speaker said.
At the end of his remark, Gbajabiamila requested his colleagues to observe a minute of silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the protests, which they all obliged.

…Nigeria to host maiden CoSAP confab in 2021

Speakers and Heads of African Parliaments have commenced taking measures for foreign loan debt relief for African countries.                   However, the push for debt cancellation came with a pledge to improve oversight over loan approvals and endure judicious utilization of loans in their respective countries, it emerged on Monday. 
This followed the official formation and launching of the Conference of Speakers and Heads of African Parliaments (CoSAP) initiated by the Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, due to the shared concern over the socio-economic effect of the coronavirus (Covid-19) on African counties.
Other members of the group include Hon. Tagesse Chafo, Speaker, House of Peoples, Ethiopia; Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, MP, Speaker of Parliament, Republic of Ghana, and Hon. Justin Bedan Muturi, Speaker, National Assembly, Kenya. 
Others are Hon. Donatille Mukabalisa, Speaker, Chamber of Deputies, Rwanda; Hon. Moustapha Niasse, AFP, President, National Assembly, Republic of Senegal; and Hon. Thandi Modise, Speaker, National Assembly, South Africa.
While Hon. Chafo, Speaker, House of Peoples, Ethiopia and Hon. Mukabalisa, Speaker, Chamber of Deputies, Rwanda could not make the meeting, Speakers and Heads of Parliaments from Algeria, Morocco, Cote D’Ivoire and Cape Verde were said to have fully announced their readiness to join the movement, according to the Chairman of CoSAP, Rep. Gbajabiamila.
The presiding officers of the African legislatures, in a virtual meeting on Monday, assured of their commitment to advocate for debt relief and to ensure that all resources made available from the debt relief efforts are transparently used and fully accounted for.
Gbajabiamila, in his remarks, emphasized the need for advocacy for the expansion and the buy-in of other African Speakers and Heads of Parliaments, saying the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Ms Gabriela Cuevas Barron has shown tremendous support for CoSAP. 
It emerged that Hon. Niasse, AFP, President, National Assembly, Republic of Senegal has been able to co-opt his Algeria, Morocco and Cote D’Ivoire and Cape Verde into CoSAP.
“Today officially marks the beginning of this historic initiative, and I want us to remember this as a historical day, not just for us as Speakers and Heads of Parliaments with a vision but for our Continent, Africa.
“We have managed to achieve so much in this little time, but this is not the time to rest on our oars but to work even harder. We must put more pressure and effort than before and act with more strength and vigour that we can muster so that our voices can be heard more clearly both domestically and internationally.
“The next couple of weeks will serve as a major determinant of this initiative, but I’m confident that we are more than capable, especially because we are aware that our people are relying on us to see this vision and initiative to fruition”.  
While affirming a Pledge of Accountability following the launching of CoSAP, the members agreed to ensure, through the assigned constitutional powers of the legislature, that freed-up resources are not misused, but are invested in social, economic and human capital development.
They said: “We pledge to include citizens in open and participatory processes to decide the appropriate use of such funds, to publish all relevant budget information, and to implement open procurement and contracting for all funds expended.
“We pledge to revise the current loan application procedures of our countries to ensure that subsequent loan collections are properly monitored, from commencement to completion, through our respective legislative powers.
“We pledge to work collaboratively as Speakers and Heads of African parliaments to ensure that all resources invested in Africa are channeled into the wholesome development of the continent.
“We pledge to partner with international and national organizations, public and private sectors as well as civil society organizations to keep us accountable and actualize our stated commitments to ensure that government is more transparent and accountable to our citizens”.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting noted that having had two meetings of the CoSAP, with the vision of Debt Cancellation Campaign Initiative (DCCI), the members set for themselves some objectives that include to discuss and agree on a Plan of Action on how to collaborate and contribute in the ongoing campaign for Africa’s debt relief.
Besides, the group will discuss and engage with other Speakers across the continent with the possibility of organizing the first Conference of Speakers and Heads of African Parliaments (COSAP) by 2021.
The communique reads in part: “We, the Speakers and Heads of Parliaments who participated in these meetings offer our support for the call and need for debt cancellation for Africa because of the extra burden of debt servicing especially during this COVID-19 pandemic on African countries.
“The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed an extra burden on African countries such that extra expenditure is required on health and other related sectors that were not budgeted for to curb the spread of the virus;
“We accept that our various Parliaments have a role to play on issues of transparency and accountability, tackling corruption, and improving oversight over loan approvals and judicious utilization of the same in our respective countries.
“The Debt Cancellation Campaign Initiative (DCCI) therefore, seeks to campaign for the cancellation of African debts in order to provide fiscal space for economic recovery and development on the continent in the wake of Covid-19”.
Accordingly, a plan of action, a debt cancellation advocacy strategy and an outreach strategy for ensuring other Speakers across the continent are engaged has been adopted by the Speakers and Head of Parliaments.
In his remarks, Prof. Quaye said the vision of CoSAP, as well as the accountability pledge undertaken, were necessary because African bilateral and multilateral partners needed to be assured of the sincerity of the leadership of the African parliaments to ensure accountability in the application of the forgiven debt.
He said: “First, the accountability pledge is very crucial because we all know the suspicion that has dogged the developing nations for so long. To encourage them to release funds, not only as a way of suspending our payments but cancelling all that we owed, we need to ensure that they are persuaded about accountability.
“We also know, that many African governments are rather unfortunately under suspicion. Therefore, parliaments here, as an institution of accountability, perhaps would know exactly how to ensure that these debt relief measures are well taken, monies would be directed to appropriate sources. That’s very important because we have to commit to improving the public financial management and reviewing the launch regime in our various countries, which have been captured by these documents.    On his part, Hon. Muturi, Speaker, National Assembly, Kenya while endorsing the launch of the group and the accountability pledge, said the event of the day was significant and showed how committed the leadership of African parliaments was by staking their integrity through the application of the forgiven debt.
“In signing this Communique and Accountability pledge, we will be pledging to promote efficient use of resources, particularly those accruing from debt and promoting citizen participation and be open in the use of the funds, review the policies in our countries and to ensure that all loans, if at all, are properly negotiated and they are used appropriately and collaborated as Speakers and Heads of Parliaments to ensure that all resources are channeled into the development of their communities”.    
Hon. Niasse, AFP, President, National Assembly, Republic of Senegal said the launch of CoSAP was not only historic for Africa and the evolution of the world, but it has also provided an opportunity for change, considering the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the socio-economic and human capital development on the continent.
“To address this situation, we need a strategy that will culminate on a full and comprehensive debt cancellation, which this group represents. This is step is very necessary for us to build a more equitable society,” he said
In her remarks, while expressed her excitement over the launch of CoSAP and the accountability pledge, Hon. Modise, Speaker, National Assembly, South Africa emphasized that the documents would aid her advocacy for CoSAP in the Southern African sub-region presenting the new movement to her counterparts in the region and regional bodies like the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) parliamentary forum
She said: “While presenting this, we need to convince them to accept that, indeed this is coming at the right time when not only Covid-19 but in effect, the economic situation has been worsening and putting us into a dire strait   
“This initiative begins also to drive home that we don’t just want debt cancellation for us to deal with economic issues, to address the issue of inequalities, of these wars that are not ending, of these disagreements that sometimes we don’t understand.”