Godson Irikefe
May 20, 2015 – Newly elected members of the House of Representatives today had a meeting in Abuja where they vowed to resist attempt by any Godfather to impose Speaker on them.
While dissociating themselves from the gale of endorsements in the quest to elect the Speaker, they advised other contenders to position themselves to borrow a leaf from the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Hon. Abdulmumini Jibril (Kano State) who has promised to offer 75% of the committees in the House to new members.
“The New House of Reps Members Forum is privy to recent correspondence and publications by one of the Speakership aspirants (Hon. Abdulmumini Jibril), proposing 75% allocation of Committee Chairmanship positions to new members elect, although we cannot confirm the propriety or feasibility of his proposal or the factors that informed his proposal, our interest is in the adoption of the best strategy to satisfy the yearnings of members of our constituencies and the entire Nigerian people”, they stated.
Convener of the New House of Reps Members Forum, Mohammed Mahmud (APC Niger State), who will be representing Agaie/Lapai Federal Constituency with Mark Terseer Gbillah (Gwer East/West) Federal Constituency of Benue state said they would resist attempt to foist anyone on them.
Members of the forum who are majorly from APC with some from PDP said that despite their respect for party supremacy, they would abide by provisions of the constitution to elect their leaders.
“The New House of Reps Members Forum recognizes and is emboldened by the fact that Nigerians have spoken, they want change and a new lease of life in the House of Representatives and indeed the 8th National Assembly; we cannot make light of the enormous responsibility fostered upon us as the majority in the House of Representatives who are in pole position to determine the course of affairs in the House of Representatives and the actualization of the aspirations of the Nigerian people. As responsible representatives of our people, it is imperative at this point that we lend a voice to the prevailing circumstances in the house even before our formal inauguration.
“The choice of presiding officers (the Speaker and his deputy) for the House of Representatives is a cardinal precursory responsibility of elected members of the House of Representatives on inauguration day before oath taking and commencement of legislative functions of the house.
“The responsibility of these individuals as enshrined in the constitution and the position of the Speaker as the number 4 man or woman in the country’s hierarchy emphasizes the critical nature of their influence on members of the house and their performance of legislative functions in the House of Representatives which invariably impinges on the affairs of the country and the aspirations of the Nigerian people.
“ It consequently behooves on all members elect to observe the highest level of decorum, circumspection, patriotism, equity and selflessness in their choice of individuals for these positions.
“We want to use this medium to express our displeasure with the current spate of unconfirmed endorsements and rebuttals by supporters of different Speakership aspirants on the pages of newspapers and other media; the New House of Reps Members Forum appreciates the invariable inclination of members to certain aspirants but will like to appeal for all honourable members elect to show the highest level of decorum and sportsmanship in the hallowed process of election of the Speaker and his deputy and the appreciation of the importance Nigerians place in the choice of these individuals.
“Chapter V, Part I, 50(1) (b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly indicates that “There shall be a Speaker and a deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that house from among themselves”.
“The New House of Reps Members Forum wants to publicly express our unequivocal support for an independent House of Representatives and National Assembly devoid of extraneous influences and control with a leadership chosen among equals as enshrined in the constitution.
“We desire a leader who is independent, imbued with true leadership qualities and espouses the virtues of honesty, equity, patriotism, selflessness, transparency, justice, observance of the rule of law and humility. We commend the President elect Muhammadu Buhari for displaying true statesmanship, leadership and respect for constitutional provisions by refusing to get entangled in zoning or determining preferred candidates for the leadership of the National Assembly.
“We appeal for all party leaders to borrow a leaf from the President elect and avoid interference in the affairs of the National Assembly in order to provide a solid foundation for the new administration and legislature to focus on the provision of dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people”, they said.
