Don’t involve in electoral violence, Gbajabiamila urges Nigerians

Femi Gbajabiamila, the House of Representatives Speaker has urged Nigerians to unite against rising cases of electoral violence across the country, noting that the ugly trend poses a threat to the smooth conduct of this year’s general election.

The Speaker, who said this on resumption of plenary by the Green Chamber of the National Assembly after the Christmas and New Year break, said the political conversations across the country, particularly in the lead-up to elections, point at the direction of the electoral outcomes and the quality of governance that will result therefrom.

Gbajabiamila said: “As we approach the general election, there has been a marked increase in incidents of insecurity and vicious attacks on political actors in parts of the country. 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 added: “When the Ninth House of Representatives was inaugurated in 2019, we hit the ground running to discover and present solutions to our country’s problems. Some of our efforts have yielded positive results in some regards; and in other areas, there is still work to do.

“We must resolve to continue to do the people’s work despite the obligations and distractions of the political campaign season. As we approach the end of our term in office, I am hopeful that we will continue to meet and exceed expectations in this new year.

“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 Ninth Assembly.

“This year, it is imperative that we focus our efforts on completing the tasks we have already initiated and closing out the assignments on which our legacy in this Ninth House will be assessed.

“Several Bills still in the legislative process need to be actioned as a matter of urgency, as these Bills propose significant improvements across different sectors of our 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.

“One recurring criticism of the legislature in Nigeria has been the lack of continuity and the absence of tools and procedures for establishing an institutional memory. Government is a continuum; the actions of one administration will continue to impact the country long into the future…”

“As the democratic process leads to continuous personnel turnover, it is vital to have a system that allows future officeholders to understand the decisions made by their predecessors. In the Executive arm of government, it is established practice to prepare handover notes.

“I wish today to propose to the House that we adopt this practice at the committee level. The House Committee on Rules and Business will lead this effort by formulating guidelines to make this possible.

“Over the last few appropriation cycles, the dire conditions of our national finance have required significant borrowing to finance government operations, sustain investments in infrastructure and national security and improve the living conditions of the Nigerian people.

“Just as the Ninth Assembly has reformed the appropriations process to ensure timely budget passage, we also intend to leave a legacy of transparency and accountability as a standard for the future. Therefore, as part of preparing our reports, we must make a deliberate effort to give a complete account of our oversight activities in the Ninth House of Representatives.

“Early in our term, we adopted the Legislative Agenda as a statement of our governing priorities in the 9th House of Representatives. We termed the agenda ‘Our Contract With Nigerians’ to reflect our determination to be held accountable for the commitments we made therein.

“Despite many challenges, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the contraction of our national economy, and a drastic reduction in resources available for development, we have made reasonable progress in achieving the objectives we set in our agenda. It is time to consider what has been done, what we didn’t do, and why.”