The outgoing 9th assembly of Nigeria’s House of Representatives has in its legislative business of the last four years received a total of 2,232 Bills, out of which 510 have been successfully passed.
This was disclosed on Wednesday during the valedictory plenary of the House, by Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Abubakar Fulata.
According to him, of the total Bills, 58 were proposals from executive arm of the federal government, 2,017 were private member Bills, while 107 were transmitted from the Senate for concurrence
He also disclosed that the House, within the period passed a total of 2,000 resolutions.
In his address earlier, Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, tasked members of the incoming House to ensure they carry on with the legacies of the outgoing assembly.
“For everything, there is a time and season, and we are obligated each season to do the most and the best we can in the time we have. This is a good rule for politics and for life itself. The 9th House of Representatives is ending, and the 10th will shortly be convened. All of us, those whose time in office is ending, and those for whom duty continues, will face the judgment of history.
“I urge you to keep this in mind and let your actions be guided by the desire to ensure that you are not found wanting by man or God in the final judgment. As a member and Speaker of this honourable House, I have travelled the length of this country, and I have been amazed by the talent and capacity, dogged determination, and resilience of the Nigerian people. The abundance of these qualities among our people assures me that if government lives up to its responsibilities, our people are ready to do the rest. So, we must live up to our responsibilities; there is no other option.
“Nigeria is an unfinished story, a long tale of promise and peril, and our final chapters have not been written yet. Some persist in believing that this grand nation is a victim of history, that our destiny has already long been written, and that we cannot escape from it. I do not subscribe to this view. In fact, I reject it entirely. Indeed the world today is being remade by profound and powerful forces, and it may seem our destiny no longer lies within our control.
“But we are a proud and resilient people with a limitless capacity for excellence. All that we hope to be, we can. All that we desire is within reach. Our greatest successes as a nation will come when we work together across party lines, without considering differences of tribe and tongue, religion and creed towards the shared goals of our nationhood – peace and prosperity, equity and justice for all”, he said.
To the legislative aides and staff of the bureaucracy, who helped in making the work of the lawmakers effective, Gbajabiamila said, “I want to express my sincere appreciation to the civil servants and aides who have toiled tirelessly with me during my time here; I thank you all most sincerely for your service. I want you to know that the roles you play in keeping this institution running are crucial to achieving the kind of country we desire”.
