My award, challenge for 9th Assembly to be more dedicated to it’s mandate of lawmaking – Gbajabiamila

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By Aaron Ossai and Disun Amosun

Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has welcomed the Legislative Personality of the Decade Award conferred on him as challenge for the entire 9th House to be more dedicated on its mandate of lawmaking, effective representation and oversight functions towards national development.

This is just as the Speaker dedicated the Award to the members and bureaucracy of the House for their role in his nomination and eventual confernment through collaboration and hardwork.

Gbajabiamila expressed these views after he, alongside Governor Sani Bello of Niger state and the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola amongst others received the 2022 Democracy Heroes Awards Africa in Abuja.

Represented by Aliyu Ibrahim, member representing Wurno/Rabbah federal constituency of Sokoto state, the speaker dedicated the award the to the 9th House of Representatives which has passed ground breaking legislations such as the Petrolulem Industry Act and the Electoral Act, 2022.

He said: “On behalf of my leader, we say thank you very much, the organisers of this great event for honouring not only him, the right honourable Speaker but indeed the House of Representatives.”

“We hold this award in high esteem and it will further embolden us to do more. Under our able leadership, there are a lot of legislative landmarks as you know, ranging from the Electoral Act to the passage of the great Petrolueam Industry Act”, he added.

Spokesperson of the House, Rep Benjamin Kalu who was part of the delegation that represented the Speaker also reiterated the commitment of the parliament to providing legislative interventions for the progress, unity and prosperity of the country.

On his part, Govenor Bello who bagged Democracy Man of the Year Award, advocated for the proper administration of local governments as a panacea for reducing pressure on the states government, thereby bringing the people at the grassroots closer to the two lower tiers of government.

“I want to advice anyone who will find himself in position of a governor to please allow democratic principles to guide us on how we run the affairs of government. I thank the organisers for this,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Aregbesola who got the Best Minister of the Year award said democracy thrives on the rule of law and any democratic government that does not recognise, appreciate and ensure the rule of law, is a failed democracy.

According to him, “democracy in its real definition is the application of the rule of law that will eventually lead to development.”