Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila on Wednesday delivered his farewell speech at a valedictory session for the 9th House in Abuja.
He said “This will be the last time I address you from this dais as the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives”
“It has been the honour of my life to serve our beloved country from this honourable House. I am profoundly grateful to the people of Surulere 1 Federal Constituency for allowing me to represent them for the last twenty years.”
Gbajabiamila highlighted some of the achievements of his led 8th House of representatives.
“In the years since I first stepped into this hallowed chamber, the House of Representatives has changed profoundly, just as our country has changed too.”
” Yet, in all that time, I have not witnessed change on a scale and with such speed as has been the case in the last four years”
“We introduced discipline into the appropriations process by implementing a January to December budget cycle that ended the policy instability and economic uncertainty of the previous irregular budget cycles”
“We reformed the oversight process to ensure greater collaboration between the arms of the government”
” We made it easier for citizens to access details of budget expenditures so that they, too, can be part of the process of ensuring accountability in the administration of public funds”
“We did not yield our constitutional obligation to ensure faithful compliance with the letter and spirit of the Appropriation Act by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government”
“We ended that legacy of lethargy with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). With the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act, we went even further to put the sector on the right footing”
“I urge you to ensure that you are not found wanting by man or God in the final judgment.”
“I leave this office today with hope unbroken, and my enthusiasm to serve remains undiminished. I am more confident that our best days are ahead and that we can build a future where our nation is a beacon of excellence, a refuge and a place of pride for all who salute our flag and swear allegiance to our constitution
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.
