The Senate Saturday observed a minute silence for the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba, who died on Wednesday in Abuja, at the age of 65.
This followed a motion sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, on the demise of the late Speaker.
Barau was the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations during Na’Abba’s tenure as the Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003.
Moving the motion, Senator Barau said the late speaker stood firm for the independence of the legislative arm of government during his tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.
He said the former Speaker was instrumental to the successful take-off of the House of Representatives by putting in place all necessary structures needed to galvanise a new legislature to perform its functions.
He called on the Senate to honour Na’Abba’s contributions to the development of the legislature in the country by observing a minute silence.
”This is to officially inform this august sitting of the death of the founding presiding officer of the House of Representatives of the Fourth Republic, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, who died on Wednesday. He died in Abuja and was buried in Kano according to Islamic rites.
“He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. He fought to put the necessary structure for the taking off of the House of Representatives of the Fourth Republic. He was a dogged fighter who stood firm for the independence of the legislature.
”He will ever be remembered for the sacrifice he made to make sure the House of Representatives was put in the best place to perform its functions. He needs to be honoured by this distinguished Senate for his contributions to the development of the legislature of this country. I, hereby, urge that a minute silence be observed in his honour,” Senator Barau was quoted in a statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir.
Seconding the motion, Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi), said the late Na’Ábba played a prominent role in the Fourth Republic as the speaker of the House of Representatives.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, said Na’Abba was a pillar in defending the independence of the legislative arm at the onset of the fourth republic.
He recalled that it was during Na’Abba’s tenure that elaborate rules of the legislature were formulated.
