The deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Mr Philip Agbese, has said that the peace and harmonious working relationship which the lower chamber has enjoyed under the leadership of the Speaker, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, may not be unconnected to the stunning leadership qualities of the Speaker and how he always carries members along.
According to Agbese, unlike the in-house acrimony, leadership crisis and executive-legislative rancours that usually characterised past Assemblies, the 10th Assembly under Abbas has been relatively peaceful.
Honourable Agbese stated this while answering questions from journalists during the resumed plenary of the House on Tuesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. Tribune Online reports that the House had adjourned on Saturday, 30th December 2023, after passing the 2024 Appropriation Bill, to reconvene on Tuesday, 30th January, 2024.
“The towering leadership qualities of Mr. Speaker, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has accounted for the peace, unity and tranquillity the House currently enjoys as well as the harmonious working relationship with the executive and the MDAs.”
Agbese said Nigerians are now seeing a different Parliament under the Speaker with the era of bickering and wasting precious time of the parliament on crises that are seen as anti-progress and unparliamentary over.
The lawmaker, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, also attributed the success of the passage of the 2024 Budget in record time to the maturity in the leadership of the Honourable Speaker which has helped to sustain the January-December budget cycle.
“There were times in this country when the President was bullied and yelled at when he appeared before a joint session of the National Assembly to present budget estimates. This was done by aggrieved personalities who are Members of the Parliament.
“But you see this 10th Assembly, Members of Parliament are at peace with the executive, making the business of governance to move in neck-breaking speed to the advantage of the common people. It does not mean that the Parliament is rubber-stamped, it simply means the lawmakers put the general interest of the people far above personal interests and both arms of government respect their boundaries in balancing their powers.
“This could only be possible in an Assembly where the Speaker handles issues with maturity and sees Nigeria as his project and how the project grows is only his business, nothing more.
“These and many other qualities you cannot take away from the Honourable Speaker of the 10th House and if you peep into the Legislative Agenda of the 10th House, you would believe that this is just an early morning on creation day. Nigerians should expect the best Assembly ever in the history of this country, under His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.”
Agbese added that working with the Speaker is a great pleasure of the lawmakers. He said Abbas’s leadership qualities has endeared him to the hearts of the people saying it is the reason the parliament has remained peaceful, coordinated and united behind him.
