Tag: Gbajabiamila

  • Nigeria can’t be left behind in protecting women – Gbajabiamila

    Nigeria can’t be left behind in protecting women – Gbajabiamila

    …says House’ll reintroduce Equal Opportunity Bill

    Nigeria could not afford to be left behind in the global trend to protect and defend the rights of women, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said.

    The Speaker stated that on the part of the 9th House, it had already made the protection of women and promoting gender-based issues, an important item on its Legislative Agenda.

    He spoke at the National Assembly when he received a delegation from a development partner, OXFAM International, on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja on Thursday.

    Gbajabiamila assured the team that the House would do everything within its limits to protect and defend the rights of women, though he clarified that the ultimate goal would be to achieve gender equality by addressing the interests of both women and men.

    “We can’t be left behind in the 21st Century where the world is a global place. We can’t be left behind as a country in terms of how women are protected”, Gbajabiamila stated.

    However, in pursuing gender issues, the Speaker stressed that the Legislature, in collaboration with other stakeholders, must interrogate why attempts to promote matters affecting women often faced hiccups.

    He noted that some of the factors could be “sentiments” and interests of various dimensions, which needed to be tackled so that gender-based issues could have a smooth sail in Parliament.

    Speaking specifically on the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill, which had failed passage several times at the National Assembly, Gbajabiamila promised that the House would reintroduce it, while at the same time partnering with stakeholders to attend to the factors working against the bill.

    The Speaker said, “That bill has been with the National Assembly for six to seven years, I guess. It failed a couple of times. When a bill fails like that, clearly there must be a reason. It is that reason that we need to interrogate. If you keep presenting a bill over and over again, thinking okay, we will wear these people down, the reasons why it failed remain.

    “What we need to do is to interrogate the issues, the sentiments. Why did the bill fail? When we find out, there are two ways to approach it: either you share education by sensitising/lobbying people who may be against the bill for that reason, or to retouch the bill and achieve the same result.”

    Gbajabiamila added, “It is our desire in the House to push the bill through, but we need to work hard and find out why the bill has had challenges. It’s a good bill that we need to look at and push through.”

    The Country Director of OXFAM in Nigeria, Mr Constant Tchona, while speaking earlier, informed Gbajabiamila how since the 1960s, the organisation had been supporting the three tiers of government to become “more agile and responsive to issues of social protection, human rights, people-oriented policy making and implementation.”

    Tchona, who praised the Speaker for his gender and social development initiatives, seized the opportunity of the visit to canvass the passage of the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill by the Legislature.

    He said this would “go a long way to redefine inclusive social and economic development in Nigeria.”

    The organisation embraced most of the social development initiatives of the Speaker, offering to partner with the Speaker’s Office to execute and bring them to fruition.

  • Nigerians deserve a police force they can trust – Gbajabiamila

    Nigerians deserve a police force they can trust – Gbajabiamila

    … House opens hearing on PSC reform bill

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that a trusted police force working within the limits of the law is what Nigerians deserve.

    He assured Nigerians that the 9th House under his leadership would bequeath such a police force to them, and is working assiduously to achieve the goal.

    Gbajabiamila, who spoke at the National Assembly on Thursday during the opening of a public hearing on two bills by the House Committee on Police Affairs, said the House would meet these expectations as one of the key items on its Legislative Agenda.

    The bills are “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Police Service Commission Act and Enact the Police Service Commission Bill, 2020 to strengthen the Commission to be more Functional in its Operations, and for Related Matters” and “A Bill for an Act to Provide for Establishment of the National Institute for Police Studies, to Provide for Administration and Management of the Institute and Determining the Standard of Knowledge and Skills to be Acquired by the Personnel of the Institute, and for Related Matters.”

    According to the speaker, the House made a commitment to give adequate attention to reforms that would be carried out on policing in Nigeria through relevant legislative support.

    He noted, “Reforming the Nigerian security architecture, with specific emphasis on our policing system and law enforcement, is one of the cardinal commitments of the 9th House of Representatives. It is a commitment against which our tenure in office will be measured.

    “When the time for assessment and judgment comes, we must not be found wanting. The Nigerian people deserve a Police Force that they can trust. They deserve a Police Force that acts within the limits of the law and respects the rule of law.

    “We will do everything in our power to meet these expectations.”

    Gbajabiamila further stated that aside from statutory reforms, there were other urgent areas of intervention to make the police force function better, including recruitment, training, funding and operational priorities.

    “These issues are the responsibility of the Police Force administration and the executive. Nonetheless, the 9th House of Representatives will be part of those conversations around effecting changes in this regard, and we will do our utmost to ensure that everything that ought to be done is done and done right”, the speaker added.

    Specifically on the Police Service Commission (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2020, Gbajabiamila explained that it was the first attempt to institute an independent system for holding errant police officers to account for abuses of power and related misconduct in office.

    The speaker acknowledged the fact that not all police personnel were bad, describing a “good majority” of them as “upstanding and professional.”

    However, he said one rotten egg could ruin the basket, a reason the House stepped in with the reform bill with the aim of weeding out “the few bad eggs in the police force.”

    The speaker told the session that among others, the bill proposed changes to the composition of the Police Service Commission (PSC), “reorganising the Commission to be public-facing and able to receive and investigate complaints against Police Officers” as well as “increasing the minimum requirement for recruitment into the constabulary and allow for the recruitment of more qualified candidates into the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).”

    Gbajabiamila urged the stakeholders to seize the opportunity of the public hearing to make objective submissions that would help to restore faith in Nigeria’s security institutions and reassure the people that the government was still capable of protecting their lives and property.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Usman Kumo, promised a level-playing field for all the stakeholders to make their submissions in a just and fair atmosphere.

    Kumo called on all presenters to be
    “God-fearing”, nationalistic, frank and open-minded to assist the committee in producing a report that would meet the expectations of the House and Nigerians in general.

  • We have to fix LG administration to deliver democratic promises – Gbajabiamila

    We have to fix LG administration to deliver democratic promises – Gbajabiamila

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that for leaders to deliver on the promise of democratic governance, the local government administration must be fixed to meet its expectations.

    Gbajabiamila said it was time for all efforts to be channeled toward addressing the problems bedeviling the LG system in the country to make it more efficient and effective.

    Speaking at the 2021 General Assembly of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Speaker said the House was ready to assist in making the local governments in Nigeria better through the instrument of the law.

    “The local government administrations in Nigeria are the closest to the people. They should be responsible for making decisions and providing services that ensure the quality of life for the Nigerian people.

    “Until we fix local government administration in Nigeria, we will not be able to fully deliver on the promise of democratic governance in a way that allows us to achieve our country’s full potential.

    “This is the most critical and most important tier of government because you are the ones that are in touch with the people of Nigeria, I thought I have to be here irrespective of my tight schedule.”

    He said the day was a historic one and that the outcomes of the event should be made historic to change the way local governments are being run.

    “I was pleased to see that you have chosen as the theme of this year’s General Assembly ‘Strategic Positioning of Local Governments for the Future: A New Era.’ This is an important topic that I hope will allow the General Assembly to develop a strategy that will enable stakeholders across government and civil society to collaborate more effectively to achieve necessary and long-overdue reforms of local government administration in Nigeria.”

    Gbajabiamila said the major task of the local governments was development at the grassroots level but bemoaned a situation where members of the National Assembly like him were called upon by the people at that level to carry out work to be done by that tier of government.

    He said though it is the responsibility of the local governments to carry out such works, they could not do that, “because they have been hampered to do that.

    “We all know why this happens. That is why I say you should make the outcomes of this assembly rich. And we will be there in the National Assembly to assist you.”

    Gbajabiamila said now that there is a public and political consensus in favour of constitutional reforms to address the fundamental and structural problems in the country, “this is the time to ensure that the question of how to get our local governments working is at the centre of our national conversations about the future and promise of Nigeria.

    “It is said that you cannot build something on nothing. If you don’t fix the local government administration, you will just go round and round.”

    He said the ongoing constitution amendment by the National Assembly would address some of the challenges faced in the country.

    “Local government leaders must at all times strive towards a culture of service and the practice of excellence. You must respect the rule of law. Part of that means ensuring that the legislative arm of local government administration performs its separate functions without undue executive interference.

    “For too long, we have avoided the hard conversations about our nation’s future. We cannot afford to do that anymore. I assure you all that the 9th House of Representatives will not waiver from our commitment to take whatever legislative actions are necessary to achieve the highest ambitions we have for Nigeria.

    “I assure you also that we are ready to work with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and all stakeholders to fix local government administration in Nigeria once and for all.”

  • Gas holds key potential for Nigerian economy, Gbajabiamila says

    Gas holds key potential for Nigerian economy, Gbajabiamila says

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that the gas sector holds key potential for the Nigerian economy as the world looks outside the box from dependence on crude oil.

    Gbajabiamila said, for this reason, experts in the gas sector should partner those in government for the development of the sector to achieve optimum results, noting Nigeria needs to maximize its natural gas resource.

    Speaking while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) in his office on Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said the on-going process of passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) had provided an opportunity for the experts to collaborate with the House to incorporate a futuristic gas legislation that would be beneficial to Nigeria and Nigerians.

    “Definitely, it’s now all about gas. Crude oil, as we know and which we all rely on, is not so infinite; its end is almost around the corner, and we don’t want to be caught unawares. We have to be prepared for that day.

    “That is why I agreed on the issue of the PIB and why, from the ground floor, the gas sector needs to key in and lock in its role in the piece of legislation that would come out in PIB.

    “This is very important because the PIB is going to be there for ages and this is the time we need to key in the gas sector in framing that piece of legislation together.

    “With our proven reserve and potential that will propel us from the 9th largest producer in the world to the 4th, that’s a blessing we can’t overemphasize as gas touches on every aspect of the economy.

    “We are on the same page with you on the need to unlock the potential for the good of Nigeria,” he said.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker was quoted as saying, “We look forward to sittings like this where we can collaborate and work together for one and one purpose only- to move this country forward and develop our economy, infrastructure and put this country on the line of economic growth.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation and the Managing Director of NLNG Limited, Tony Attah, said as a result of the ongoing works on PIB, it was necessary to inform the Speaker of Nigeria’s 200 tcf reserved proven and another 600 tcf potential that needed to be proven.

    According to him, combining the proven and potential (800tcf) would place Nigeria in a vantage position of being number 4 from 9th world largest producer of gas.

    “Being number 4 is a game-changer that will continue to help Nigeria well into the future, irrespective of the energy transition and changing energy needs.

    “We believe that the PIB is a major opportunity, and before it’s signed, we thought we would bring this to your attention,” he added.

    Gbajabiamila said, for this reason, experts in the gas sector should partner those in government for the development of the sector to achieve optimum results, noting Nigeria needs to maximize its natural gas resource.

    Speaking while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) in his office on Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said the on-going process of passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) had provided an opportunity for the experts to collaborate with the House to incorporate a futuristic gas legislation that would be beneficial to Nigeria and Nigerians.

    “Definitely, it’s now all about gas. Crude oil, as we know and which we all rely on, is not so infinite; its end is almost around the corner, and we don’t want to be caught unawares. We have to be prepared for that day.

    “That is why I agreed on the issue of the PIB and why, from the ground floor, the gas sector needs to key in and lock in its role in the piece of legislation that would come out in PIB.

    “This is very important because the PIB is going to be there for ages and this is the time we need to key in the gas sector in framing that piece of legislation together.

    “With our proven reserve and potential that will propel us from the 9th largest producer in the world to the 4th, that’s a blessing we can’t overemphasize as gas touches on every aspect of the economy.

    “We are on the same page with you on the need to unlock the potential for the good of Nigeria,” he said.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker was quoted as saying, “We look forward to sittings like this where we can collaborate and work together for one and one purpose only- to move this country forward and develop our economy, infrastructure and put this country on the line of economic growth.

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation and the Managing Director of NLNG Limited, Tony Attah, said as a result of the ongoing works on PIB, it was necessary to inform the Speaker of Nigeria’s 200 tcf reserved proven and another 600 tcf potential that needed to be proven.

    According to him, combining the proven and potential (800tcf) would place Nigeria in a vantage position of being number 4 from 9th world largest producer of gas.

    “Being number 4 is a game-changer that will continue to help Nigeria well into the future, irrespective of the energy transition and changing energy needs.

    “We believe that the PIB is a major opportunity, and before it’s signed, we thought we would bring this to your attention,” he added.

  • We need innovative solutions, collaboration to address health challenges – Gbajabiamila

    We need innovative solutions, collaboration to address health challenges – Gbajabiamila

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila, has highlighted the need for innovative solutions and collaborations to address the challenges confronting the health sector in Nigeria.

    The Speaker, who said this during the official commissioning ceremony of the Muhammadu Buhari international conference centre and Telemedicine Hall at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State in Monday, emphasized the need for collaboration across government and between governments and the private sector for desired results in the health sector.

    He said: “Providing access to quality healthcare that our people can afford is one way we serve their best interests and ensure fidelity to our constitutional obligations.

    “The projects we have come to commission here today will help ensure that the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta continues to be a world-class medical facility.

    “These projects will allow the medical professionals at this centre to continue providing care and treatment to the sick and afflicted, conducting research that advances the cause of medical science and all together promoting the welfare and wellbeing of the Nigerian people. This is a good thing, worthy of celebration,” he said.

    Gbajabiamila, who bemoaned they devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the last one year, commended Nigerian health workers for rising to the occasion.

    “I am now and will always remain a great admirer and champion of our nation’s medical professionals, and I ask you all this morning to join me in celebrating them for their noble efforts.

    “Thanks to advances in medical science and the availability of a vaccine, we hope to soon rid ourselves and our world of this disease so that we can at long last begin to account for what is lost and rebuild better for the future.”

    He said there is a lot of work to be done to overcome the myriad of deficiencies so as to deliver a healthcare system that meets the current needs and address emerging scenarios and diverse health crises in the country.

    “We have in our country today a deficit of healthcare infrastructure and a problem of healthcare cost. There are structural issues relating to healthcare regulation and the distribution of responsibilities across our country’s three governance tiers.

    “A shortage of personnel compounded by the inadequate service conditions for medical professionals presents its own unique set of challenges. These problems demand innovative solutions; they require collaboration across government and between governments and the private sector. It is a joint task for which we all bear varying degrees of responsibility.”

    Gbajabiamila said the 9th House of Representatives has in its Legislative Agenda made commitment “to address those parts of the problems that fall within our remit, primarily related to statutory reform of such critical legislation as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Act and the National Healthcare Act, the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill amongst others.

    “We will also continue to use the appropriations process to fund projects that bridge the infrastructure gap and ensure that essential healthcare facilities are available across the country to benefit all our people.

    “I ask you all for support in these efforts, and I assure you that we will work with all who are willing to meet the challenges we face so that together, we will leave a legacy of success in this critical national sector.”

  • Gbajabiamila urges journalists on professionalism, objectivity

    Gbajabiamila urges journalists on professionalism, objectivity

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged journalists to always uphold professionalism and objectivity in their reportage.

    Gbajabiamila, who spoke while unveiling the maiden calendar of the House of Reps Press Corps on Tuesday at the National Assembly, said he believed journalists have a lot to offer in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

    “Each time I have the opportunity to talk to you, I always tell you, we should work and continue to hold our feet to the fire and that’s your job. You must do that but do it with a little bit of responsibility after investigation.

    “Let the Press Corps of the House of Representatives be different from any other Press Corps you can imagine. Different not just in the sense that you carry out your journalistic responsibility objectively and professionally; you have been doing that so far, but we need to cross that Rubicon with a little bit more and we will get to the promised land.”

    He said the 9th National Assembly came at an unprecedented time and has been through a long tough road with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “So, the 9th is saddled with a lot of responsibilities like no other Assembly has ever been saddled with. But I’m glad that with your support and cooperation, we are trying our best to meet these responsibilities and these challenges as best as we can.

    “There are still going to be challenges ahead and by God’s grace, we will meet them. We will continue with our symbiotic relationship and I hope that by the time we are done, this 9th Assembly and this 9th House Press Corps will be remembered for good.”

    He commended the leadership of the press corps for coming up with the maiden calendar, saying it is a landmark achievement.

    In a remark, the chairman of the House Committee on Welfare and Services, Rep. Wale Raji, said the Legislature recognized the importance of the press in covering its activities.

    He said the work of building a nation is a partnership among all stakeholders, journalists inclusive, urging them to ensure that they promote democratic tenets in their reportage.

    The chairperson of the press corps, Mrs Grace Ike, thanked the Speaker for unveiling the calendar, which she said was to document some major activities of the 9th House.

  • Minimum Wage Bill: We’ll not hurt Nigerian workers – Gbajabiamila

    Minimum Wage Bill: We’ll not hurt Nigerian workers – Gbajabiamila

    …says House has best intentions for Nigerians

    The House of Representatives would not do anything to hurt Nigerian workers as the Green Chamber will always work in tandem with the yearnings and aspirations of the people, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has said.

    Speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba on Tuesday in Abuja, the Speaker called on the organised labour to use advocacy and lobbying as tools to register its disagreement with legislative decisions and actions.

    Gbajabiamila said those were the most potent tools deployed by labour in advanced democracies to score high points as against street protests or the casting of aspersions on members of the legislature.

    He said the dust being raised by the Minimum Wage Bill could be addressed successfully during the public hearing, where all stakeholders, including labour unions, would have the opportunity to kick against the draft legislation.

    “The fact is that I’m a labour friendly Speaker, and I represent a labour friendly House.

    “I want us to agree, first of all, that whatever was debated on the issue of minimum wage, the contributions by each member, were well-intended.

    “When we begin to castigate members like that, it doesn’t pay us. No member will come up with something that he knows will be against the people.

    “I want to tell you that we will do what we ought to do. You know me, and you know some of our members. If this hurts the Nigerian people, we’ll do the right thing,” he said.

    The delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Speaker over the proposed bill to transfer the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive-Legislative List to the Concurrent List.

    The bill, initiated in the House, had already passed second reading.

    On Wednesday last week, the labour leadership led workers on a protest match to the National Assembly, demanding the withdrawal of the Bill on the grounds that it would “enslave” workers and erode the gains achieved in the over 40 years of wage negotiations in Nigeria.

    However, meeting with the labour delegation on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila reassured workers that the House would never be anti-people, but would always take decisions to serve the best interests of all Nigerians.

    He explained that the proponents of the bill were also concerned about the welfare of workers and sought how to resolve the age-long problem of irregular or non-payment of salaries by many states in the country.

    Gbajabiamila informed the delegation that the fact of a bill being debated on the floor did not mean that the Legislature would pass it without “fully taking into account, the totality of the merits and demerits of the bill.”

    He noted that where the demerits weighed heavily against a bill, the House had the only option of stopping such a bill.

    The Speaker said he had expected labour to deploy advocacy in the media or lobbying through public hearing on the bill to register its disagreement as against casting aspersions on the image of lawmakers.

    He spoke more: “In arresting a piece of legislation, because are talking democracy here, you can do it through advocacy; you can do it at the public hearing.

    “I had a bill as the Speaker of the House that suffered the same fate – the Infectious Diseases Bill. It went through a public hearing and now we have removed some things from the bill; we listened to Nigerians and now you won’t find some of those things anymore.

    “I would have loved a situation where you made your case at the public hearing or through advocacy in the media.”

    He added that the Minimum Wage Bill, being a constitutional amendment bill, will take a very long journey through the House, the public hearing, the Senate and the State Houses of Assembly before eventually making its way to the Presidency for possible assent by Mr President.

    Gbajabiamila assured the delegation that at whatever point it became clear that the bill did not receive the support of the majority of lawmakers and Nigerians, it would “definitely” be stood down.

    He appealed to the labour leadership to shelve its plan for further street protests or calling out workers to embark on industrial action.

    Speaking earlier, Wabba told Gbajabiamila that the NLC and the TUC leaderships started mobilising workers against the bill because they believed it would erode the over 40 years of progress made in minimum wage negotiations in the country.

    He said if allowed to pass, the bill would ridicule Nigeria before the international community, being a signatory to Convention 26 of the International Labour Organisation on wage issues.

    The NLC President argued that minimum wage was a standard embraced by most countries as the minimum take-home-pay for a worker.

    He noted that the minimum wage was always determined by the national parliament, but employers at the sub-national levels were free to negotiate with their workers to pay higher, according to the resources available to them.

    Wabba maintained labour’s position that the problem was not the inability of states to pay the minimum wage, but a case of “misplaced priorities.”

  • Gbajabiamila celebrates VP Osinbajo at 64

    Gbajabiamila celebrates VP Osinbajo at 64

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has felicitated with Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as he clocks 64 years tomorrow, March 8.
    Gbajabiamila said Osinbajo has been a patriot and democrat, whose services to his fatherland have been commendable, particularly since he became the Vice President in 2015.
    He noted that the VP has for many decades dedicated himself to serving humanity, serving variously as a teacher (lecturer), pastor and a politician of repute.
    The Speaker said as a lawyer, Prof. Osinbajo has distinguished himself and rose to become not only a professor of law but also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), which is the pinnacle of law practice in the country.
    Gbajabiamila recalled the fond memories of Prof. Osinbajo’s laudable contributions to the development of Lagos State when the VP served as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for eight years – from 1999 to 2007.
    He said the younger generations of Nigerians have a lot to learn from the life of the VP.
    “His Excellency, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is one Nigerian that should be celebrated at every point in time, but the occasion of his 64th birthday calls for more celebration.
    “I, therefore, wish to join millions of Nigerians to celebrate the Vice President on this memorable occasion.
    “On this memorable day, I wish the Vice President continuous good health and God’s protection,” the Speaker said.
  • Lateef Jakande’s demise a monumental loss, says Gbajabiamila

    Lateef Jakande’s demise a monumental loss, says Gbajabiamila

    …commiserates with Lagos govt, Lagosians

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the demise of a former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, as a monumental loss.

    The Speaker said he was personally touched by the death of Jakande, whom he described as a man of peace, who lived all his life serving humanity.

    He said Jakande, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 91, would be sorely missed by the people, especially Lagosians, and that he would be remembered for his developmental strides in the state.

    He said Jakande’s invaluable contributions to making Lagos what it is today would never be erased, noting that the former Lagos governor was an embodiment of progress.

    During Jakande’s active political participation, the Speaker said, he played politics without bitterness and ensured that Lagosians were carried along.

    Gbajabiamila commiserated with the Jakande family, the people and Government of Lagos State over the loss.

    “Lateef Jakande’s death is a personal loss to me, because he was a father to us all. A strong political ally to my mother, Alhaja Lateefat Gbajabiamila. We will never forget the role he played in the economic and political existence of Lagos State, especially when he served as governor between 1979 and 1983.

    “Baba Jakande touched the lives of many people in different ways. His major preoccupation was the peace and unity of his people, and he lived by that example.

    “As a politician, he was a nationalist, and as a foremost journalist, he was a patriot to a fault. When he later served as Minister of Works between 1993 and 1998, he did so diligently and with a lot of dedication.

    “I pray that the Almighty Allah comforts his family at this difficult moment. May Jannatul Firdaus be his final abode,” Gbajabiamila said.

  • FG’s cash grant: Gbajabiamila flags off programme in Surulere

    FG’s cash grant: Gbajabiamila flags off programme in Surulere

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has flagged off the Federal Government’s Cash Grant to about 1,800 beneficiaries in Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

    The Speaker, who addressed the beneficiaries and other guests virtually at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Thursday, through zoom, assured his constituents of more socio-economic programmes coming to them.

    He said: “This is another programme for the upliftment of the people of Surulere; it’s a Federal Government cash grant to be given to about 1,800 of you.

    “Each of you will be given N20, 000 to assist in your trading and whatever business you are doing and to cushion the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “The Federal Government’s cash grant is a programme designed among other things, to reduce poverty across the country and cushion the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.

    “There will be many more programmes coming up in Surulere. Surulere remains number one and will continue to be number one, Insha Allah.

    “So, we will continue to work hard for you from here in Abuja. If you look around everywhere in Surulere, there is one thing or the other going on in every ward. We will continue to do more.

    “So, I wish you well and I wish this programme continues and you continue to observe the Covid-19 protocols -social distancing, using sanitisers; these are very important.

    “More importantly, I hope everyone has registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress? If you have like I said on Saturday when I did my own registration, that is when you can take ownership of the party and say that this party truly belongs to you. If you are not registered and your name is not in the register, you cannot say the party truly belongs to you”.

    He however enjoined those who were not successful on the current batch of the cash grant not to despair, adding that all efforts would be made to ensure that they succeed next time.