At resumption of the House of Reps for a final lap of their tenure in parliament, Speaker urges colleagues to exceed expectations in the new year. Condemns increasing attacks on political actors and calls on the lawmakers to adopt politics of accommodation and brotherhood
Ahead of the 2023 general election, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has appealed to his colleagues to collectively resolve to continue to do the people’s work despite the obligations and distractions of the political campaign season.
He made the remarks on Tuesday, during the first plenary session of the lawmakers since resumption in 2023, which marks the final year of the ninth House. In welcoming members of the legislative chamber, the Speaker expressed hope that the House will meet and exceed expectations in this new year, even as they approach the end of their term in office.
“Let us begin this new year with a renewed commitment to legislative action that brings us closer to achieving our highest aspirations for our nation. Let us resume with renewed determination to achieve better oversight of government spending priorities through a collaborative effort with the executive arm of government and civil society.
And we remain dedicated to the lofty yet clear ambitions we articulated in our Legislative Agenda when we resumed in the 9th Assembly.”
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Noting that there has been a marked increase in incidences of insecurity and vicious attacks on political actors in parts of the country, Gbajabiamila urged the lawmakers to unite to ensure the dangerous trend does not lead to circumstances that threaten the forthcoming elections. He called on the members of the House to adopt politics of accommodation and brotherhood as leaders in their various communities and constituencies.
The Lagos lawmaker rallied the legislators to ensure that no form of insecurity threatening the country’s peace is attributed to their actions or utterances, stressing that it is a constitutional obligation and a moral duty from which they must not deviate.
“We must unite to ensure this dangerous trend does not lead to circumstances that threaten the forthcoming elections. The quality of the political conversations in society, particularly in the lead-up to elections, is a determining factor in the electoral outcomes and the quality of governance that will result therefrom.
When political discourse seeks to unite the people behind an agenda of shared prosperity, social development, and respect for the humanity of persons, governance will also reflect these priorities,” he noted.
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Speaking on the task ahead, he stressed the importance of focusing efforts on completing the tasks already initiated and closing out the assignments on which the legacy of the 9th House will be assessed. He referred to several bills still in the legislative process that needs to be actioned as a matter of urgency, explaining that these bills propose significant improvements across different sectors of national life.
“Some of these bills are still in committee, while others are awaiting concurrence in the Senate. We will see to it that we conclude work on these bills so that they can be presented to Mr president during the life of this administration.,” he remarked.
