Breakdown, disorder won’t be allowed in state assemblies, Gbajabiamila warns

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has warned that the National Assembly won’t allow breakdown of law and order in any state House of the Assembly in the country.

Gbajabiamila stated this through his deputy, Idris Wase, who represented him, at a roundtable with the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly on Tuesday in Lagos.

The Speaker said that the National Assembly, being the apex legislative institution of the country, made positive interventions that saw to the amicable resolution of the challenges recently faced by the legislatures in Bauchi and Edo states.

The Speaker noted that such interventions by the National Assembly are necessary to safeguard the legislative institutions.

He said: “For the avoidance of any doubts, the National Assembly is the head of the legislature in Nigeria. Events of recent weeks in some parts of the country tended to go in the wrong direction, but we are glad that the intervention by the National Assembly has brought wisdom to play, particularly in Bauchi and Edo states.

Read also: Obasanjo expresses belief in Nigeria after many ‘letters’ on bad leadership

“I want to assure you that the National Assembly would not allow any breakdown of law and order in any state assembly, let alone to contemplate any vacuum.”

Gbajabiamila also counselled the speakers to be cautious in the discharge of their duties, with a view to ensuring the sanctity of the legislature as an institution.

“My distinguished speakers, I must point out here that there is a need for caution. The caution lies in our collective efforts to ensure that the work of lawmakers, be it at the state or national level, does not suffer any infringement.

“We must not only be seen to be working, but work in a way that our work would speak for us. Of particular note is the need to point out the sanctity of the National Assembly which must be recognised”, he said.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now