The 9th House of Representatives came to an end Wednesday with a valedictory session, signalling the end of the lower chamber of the National Assembly, which began in 2019.
The Majority Leader of the House, Rep. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa had moved a motion to commence the valedictory session with the Minority Leader, Rep Ndudi Elumelu, seconding the motion while Uyime Idem said the Christian prayer at about 12:06 p.m.
The session will adjourn sine die ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Assembly on 13 June.
The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said the opportunity to serve the House has been honorific noting that the address would be the last to the House as the Speaker of the 9th Assembly.
He further described the last four years as a period of unprecedented changes.
The Speaker said: “I will miss all of you and miss this house, you have enriched my life and I cannot express how much you have impacted the house”.
He said the joint efforts in nation building by members were to ensure that the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers did not die.
Adding that: “We have come, we have seen and while we are yet to conquer, my enthusiasm to serve remained undiminished”.
The speaker said it has been the honour of his life to serve the people of the country expressing gratitude to his constituency and colleagues for the privilege to serve.
He stated that since he assumed office, the house had changed drastically in such a manner he had not witnessed, adding that the change came with speed as witnessed in the last four years.
Gbajabiamila recalled the 9th House of Reps had governed well with some interventions, including COVID-19 pandemic, Police Reform Bill, Electoral Acts Amendment Bill, Constitutional Review, among others.
He said: “We have worked to take advantage of social and economic transformation that benefit us; we have left our mark on every sectors of our national life”.
Adding that the House was able to introduce discipline on the Appropriation Act that now commenced from January to December of every year.
He further said that the 9th House of Reps has ended and the 10th will commence urging all present to “ensure that you are not found wanting by man or God in the final judgment”.
Rep. Julius Ihovhre, APC-Edo, said he would forever cherish the friendship he made in the 9th assembly, adding that such relationship would last forever.
He commended the speaker for leading the house well and perfectly and demonstrated that he could manage a diverse group of people.
“In your new roles as the Chief of Staff to the President, the challenges you will face are more than here, we plead with you not to abandon the spirit of excellence”, he encouraged.
He said Nigeria required the kind of leader with a sense of mission, while urging Gbajabiamila to ensure the Federal Government paid attention to basic education.
Rep. Luke Onofiong, PDP-Akwa-Ibom, said members had made relationships that would last forever and commended his constituency for giving him the privilege to serve.
He commended the speaker for accommodating members and relaxing the rules to give new members a voice, noting that the speaker was gentle enough to accommodate their errors.
He further urged the house to take the judiciary seriously with salary review.
Rep. Yusuf Gadgi, APC-Plateau said: “In my constituency, Muslims are 30 percent while Christians constitute 70 percent but they have always sent me here and for using me as a good example of how Nigeria should behave.
“What I want to say is the message of forgiveness, I want, on your behalf and other members, to forgive one another. In this assignments, we must have offended one another”.
Rep. Aisha Duku, APC-Borno, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the first woman to represent her constituency.
“Mr Speaker you have blessed me to bless others, I have changed the perspective of politics in my area because this is the first time that a Fulani woman and a Muslim will come out from that area.
“I have been able to enlighten people and bring out the women to vote, which hitherto they had not.
“I have participated in Bills assented to by the president and today they are laws, I commend my committee as the Chairman, House Committee on INEC, for supporting me”, Duku said.
She expressed her delight at being a better Nigerian, as she traveled to a lot of places in the country but her only regret was that no gender bill was passed.
In attendance at the session of the 9th assembly were former speakers, House Leader such as Gali Na’abba, Patricia Etteh, Mulikat Akande and some former clerks of NASS.
House Mr Na’Abba was the speaker from 1999 to 2003, while Mrs. Etteh unceremoniously left office in 2007 after about five months.
Credible News reports that the valedictory session is a customary session to herald the end of a session. The 9th House was inaugurated on 11 June 2019.
Credible News recalls that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last week in Abuja announced the appointment of Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
