The Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, expressed satisfaction on Monday over the work done so far by the contractor on the ongoing renovation of the Green Chamber.
In his address, Hon. Abbas said: “Today is truly a historic day, for us in the national assembly and for us in the House of Representatives in particular. Because this is a day we have been looking forward to for the past almost two and a half years.
“If you can recall, this chamber was closed for a major renovation sometimes in 2022, and it was due to reopen in September last year. But to God be the glory that couldn’t have been possible until now. As you can see, this chamber has been completely and fully renovated.
“For those who know the chamber from the past, it would bear testimony that this chamber has become a new edifice altogether.
“This is a masterpiece, a very fantastic job done by the contractor, and we must commend him for the job he has done.
A lot of us were doubting whether a local contractor could do a good job for this particular chamber because we had reservations when the contract was awarded, but today, we are all living witnesses that this chamber has exceeded our expectations.
“This chamber is a befitting chamber for the 10th House of Representatives.
“And I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate the one who initiated this particular renovation, and he’s no other one than our 9th House of Representatives Speaker and our present Chief of Staff to Mr. President, our big brother, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
“There was an occasion in Lagos where I said that it will be very rare for any Speaker to come and match his achievement because of all the things that he did within a span of four years of the 9th Assembly.
“Today people can see what it took more than five or four speakers before him that they couldn’t do. During his tenure, he has been able to anchor this particular renovation, which has not been done for the past twenty-something years. It was only during his time that we were able to see this particular achievement.
“And you also know that we are just about to open the National Assembly Library Trust Fund complex; it is also his hard work; he was the one who facilitated it from scratch, and it was through his own personal intervention as speaker that that place has been built and completed. Whatever you see there, it is the exclusive contribution of our 9th Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
“Also, with his own collaboration and the Senate, we are also able to come onboard the new National Assembly Service Commission complex, which is also nearing completion.
“I was told that the contractor has given his commitment that in the next four months it’s going to be completed. Those are some of the few things that I can remember to mention to you that our 9th Speaker was able to bring on board to the National Assembly.”
Elated by his landmark achievements, Hon. Abbas assured that his name would be immortalised by the National Assembly.
In his remarks, the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, expressed satisfaction over the work done so far by the contractor.
He said, “Let me thank Mr. Speaker very quickly from the onset for his very kind and very encouraging words; they are very gracious indeed.
“Let me very quickly add that a tree does not make a forest. While I’ve set the pace, this work was done in collaboration with members of the 9th Assembly, who keyed into the vision that I had when I was the Speaker and the vision that I had at that time, which was that, Nigeria being the most populous and biggest country in black Africa, our Legislature must not fall behind; we have to be the best; it has to be first among the international community and one of the best legislative houses.
“So, we set out in the 9th Assembly, and I remember very correctly my maiden address up here, after my election. One of my opening addresses was that we would have a befitting library in this complex because I believe the library books and research are instruments of the tools of any legislature, and I’m glad today that has come to fruition.
“The chambers that we are here today, I remember going around to one conference or another in South Africa, particularly. I realised that the chamber that we had needed to be upgraded, and I was determined, together with my colleagues in the 9th Assembly, to give this chamber a facelift and to make it one that is comparable to any in the world.
“For me, these are physical legacies that one has left behind. Many may not understand the physical legacies that the building has, but if you lose sight of that, if you want the end product to be good, it has to be based on the environment within which you operate.
“When you look at the environment today when we started, we had the technology that we developed and a computer for every seat, which is still here, but that was not enough. We still needed an environment within which members could sit down, relax, think, and be able to marshal their points comfortably.
“And that is what this has achieved. When I came in here today, I couldn’t recognise this place. It gave me a feeling of melancholy, and I felt I wish this had been completed a couple of months before I took my exit, so that I’d have the privilege—a rare privilege indeed—to sit on that chair, see what we have done, and be able to conduct the affairs of the House.
“Sitting back on the chair then, in those days, was a bit difficult because of some of the members we have. But I believe with this new sitting, it will be a lot easier for you, Mr. Speaker, because you have some people who run riot in this chamber, to be able to sit and identify who is who and be able to put them in the naughty corner here or the naughty corner there.
“But honestly, with this design, I must commend the contractor; he has done an incredible job,” Hon. Gbajabiamila noted.
Some of the lawmakers present during the inspection of the Chamber and Library are Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu; Chairman, House Committee on FCT, Hon. Aliyu Betara; Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin; Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda; Hon. Sada Soli; Majority Leader, Hon. Julius Ihonbvere; Ademorin Kuye; and Majority Whip, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, among others.
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