At Valedictory Session of the Ninth House of Representatives, Chairman of Rules and Business Committee gives breakdown of the total bills considered by the House in four years as 2,232 with the bulk of 2,017 sponsored by members
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Speaker of the Ninth House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has highlighted major achievements of the Chamber in the last four years, including bringing development to many communities in Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday during his address to Members of the House at its valedictory session signalling the close of legislative business for the Chamber, he noted that it has “introduced discipline into the appropriations process by implementing a January to December budget cycle that ended the policy instability and economic uncertainty of the previous irregular budget cycles.”
“We elevated the debates in the House of Representatives and made this chamber the arena for informed exchanges about Nigeria’s future and the welfare of all our nation’s people. We have left our mark in every sector of our national life and positively impacted people’s lives across our country,” he noted.
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The Speaker referred to the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production and Sharing Contracts Act; the Electoral Act Amendment, and the Police Act, among others, as achievements of the House under his leadership in the last four years. He further pointed out that the House passed the Police Act to change the nature of relations between the police and citizens in the country while ensuring that police officers who fell short of their responsibility could be quickly held accountable.
Gbajabiamila however, regretted that the 9th House could not succeed in “removing some of the constitutional barriers that have long stood in the way of women’s full and unhindered participation in the politics, governance and economy of the nation.”
For the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase, the House brought unprecedented transformation to so many constituencies and communities across the country.
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On his part, Chief Whip of the House, Rep. Mohammed Tahir Monguno, showered encomiums on the outgoing speaker, describing his tenure as one that ensured the independence of the National Assembly.
Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee of the House, Rep Abubakar Hassan Fulata, who spoke earlier, gave a breakdown of the total bills considered by the House as 2,232, with the bulk of 2,017 sponsored by members while 58 were sent in by the executive bills. He added that the remaining 107 came from the Senate for concurrence.
