Nigeria’s House of Representatives has strengthened its legislative tool kit to serve the citizens better against the background of the new realities created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Speaker has said.
Femi Gbajabiamila said this in a speech on Saturday in Abuja at the public presentation of the updated Legislative Agenda of the 9th House of Representatives tagged “Our Contract with Nigerians”.
The Speaker noted that in response to the new realities imposed on Nigerians by the COVID –19 pandemic, the House has updated its legislative agenda to contend with the emerging issues.
“This updated Legislative Agenda, and the implementation plan which we have tagged “Our Contract with Nigerians” sets out the new priorities of this 9th House of Representatives and commits us to a plan of action over the next year, and for the rest of our tenure.
“We have called this document a contract because that is what it is; a written account of what we owe the people and how we intend to meet our obligations within the shortest possible time. These documents represent our intention to be held accountable based on what we have freely committed to achieving, and which I am confident we will realize, to the glory of God and the edification of our people,” he said.
Gbajabiamila noted that the rising level of insecurity in various parts of Nigeria has made the country unattractive to investors and uninhabitable to citizens. He declared that Nigeria is at war, fighting insurgents in the North East who want to remake the people’s world in the image of a medieval theocracy.
“Our gathering here today is first to present this document to the public. More importantly, this gathering is intended as a convenient space for us to have frank conversations about how we will go about achieving the objectives we have set out in “Our Contract with Nigerians”. This is an opportunity to empower ourselves with the confidence to dare and the skills to deliver” the Speaker noted.
He spoke against a rising level of angst in the country, as killings by terrorists, kidnapping, and other forms of violent crimes are on the increase. Nigerians are also expressing anger over cases of corruption in government agencies. Among these are cases involving officials at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Niger Delta Development Commission, and others. The House and the Senate are currently investigating the sleaze at the NDDC.
“I encourage all of us to use the time here today to learn from the speakers and each other, exchange ideas, and develop individual roadmaps that would guide our interactions as we work together to deliver a House of Representatives that meets the highest expectations of its citizens”, Gbajabiamila said.
In a goodwill message, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha urged the lawmakers to draw from their collective wealth of experience and constitutional powers to chart a course that will improve a lot of Nigerians.
He noted that the challenges facing the nation are numerous but pointed out that the solutions lie in the hands of members of the National Assembly.
He said the impact of the pandemic has disrupted all global systems, including governance, economy, lawmaking, food production, transportation, education, health systems, amongst others, adding that the most advanced systems in the world have been tested to their limits.
“This is therefore the right time for the legislature to recalibrate and reposition itself on the delivery of the expected outcomes of the contract with Nigerians because the next three years will be very critical to our nation.
“I have carefully looked at the objectives of this Retreat and I am so pleased as the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, to note that one of the objectives is to provide a platform for the House of Representatives to collectively reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the wellbeing of the people and the role of the House in mitigating its impacts on Nigerians,” Mustapha said.
