TheNewsGuru

Tag: Gbajabiamila

  • Insecurity: Lawan, Gbajabiamila beg Buhari to increase funding for Nigeria police

    Insecurity: Lawan, Gbajabiamila beg Buhari to increase funding for Nigeria police

    The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to increase funding of the Nigeria Police Force.

    The two presiding officers of the National Assembly disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists at the State House, Abuja, on the outcome of the meeting with President Buhari.

    Gbajabiamila said the leadership of National Assembly told Mr President of the need to increase funding of the Nigeria Police Force and recruit more personnel to tackle the current challenges.

    He said the lower chamber had constituted a committee involving the two arms of government and the party to periodically review the issue of security across the country.

    He downplayed the resolution of the House calling for the resignation of Service Chiefs over insecurity since the Inspector General of Police was responsible for internal security of the country.

    The Senate President, while speaking, said the recent security challenges facing the country requires close collaboration.

  • [VIDEO] Gbajabiamila frustrated as Security Chiefs sends their accountants to reps on insecurity discourse

    [VIDEO] Gbajabiamila frustrated as Security Chiefs sends their accountants to reps on insecurity discourse

    The attached video shows the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila lamenting over the nonchalant attitude of the Security Chiefs of the nation.

    According to Speaker Gbajabiamila, he called a meeting of the service chiefs to know what they want and how to assist them but rather than honour the invitation they sent their accountants respectively.

    A visibly frustrated Gbajabiamila said: “I’m almost embarrassed!”

    Watch video:

  • Amotekun is desperate response to security challenges – Gbajabiamila

    Amotekun is desperate response to security challenges – Gbajabiamila

    House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila on Wednesday canvassed a new approach to tackling the myriad of security challenges in the country.

    He said Nigerians should embrace new ideas and not hold tight to a security system that has proved ineffective.

    Gbajabiamila described the inauguration of the Western Nigeria Security Network “Operation Amotekun” by governors of the Southwest as a desperate response to the manifestations of insecurity that deprived citizens of their peace.

    He spoke during his address to members of the House on Wednesday before the commencement of their debate on the rising security problems in the country.

    He said: “Overcoming our overwhelming national security challenges now requires that we be willing to accept new approaches and consider novel ideas.

    “Neither the security institutions nor political leaders can afford to hold on too tightly to a status quo whose frustrating limitations are painfully evident, whilst reflexively rejecting innovations that may improve our fortunes if properly implemented.

    “Recently, the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Ondo states, took action to implement a regional security network to support the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in preventing crimes and protecting the lives and property of our citizens who live, work and travel through these states.”

    “The establishment of Àmòtékùn, as the network is called, has met with commentary from across the country, both for and against.

    “Too often, it has seemed to me that lost in these interactions is the hard, brutal and unavoidable fact that Àmòtékùn and other such state or zonal interventions in other parts of the country are a desperate response to the vile manifestations of insecurity that trouble our citizens, depriving them of the peace and security that give life a meaning.

    “I do not know that Àmòtékùn or whatever iterations of it may follow, represents the ultimate or perfect solution to the problem of insecurity in our country. Nobody does that.

    “What I do know with absolute clarity and certainty is that the localised manifestations of insecurity across the different parts of our country call for unique and localised approaches that take those peculiarities into account.

    “What I also know, is that whichever approach we seek, we are obligated to work within the limits imposed by the Constitution to which we all swear allegiance.

    “Above all else, I am certain in the knowledge that doing nothing is not an option. We have a responsibility as legislators to support the best efforts of those who act with noble intent to protect our citizens.”

    The Speaker asked the Leader of the House and the Minority Leader to take active steps to bring to the floor, appropriate amendments to the Constitution that will ensure that these and other right interventions are firmly in compliance with the laws of the land.”

    Gbajabiamila also expressed worry over the fate of millions of Nigerian children and teenagers who are out of school across the country.

    The Speaker proposed a special plenary session of the House dedicated to consideration of the issues affecting such children, especially the Almajiris.

  • Speakership: Court fixes date for hearing in suit challenging Gbajabiamila’s nomination, election

    Speakership: Court fixes date for hearing in suit challenging Gbajabiamila’s nomination, election

    An FCT High Court, Jabi on Monday fixed Feb. 25 to hear a suit challenging the qualification of Femi Gbajamila, the Speaker, House of Representatives, to contest for election.

    The suit is also challenging his nomination as Speaker in the 9th Assembly.

    When the matter which was slated for hearing of pending applications came up, the claimant’s Counsel, Obed Agu, informed the court that he had motion on notice before the court.

    Agu said his application was seeking to regularise his processes by way of asking for an extension of time to enable him file his reply to defence counter- affidavit and preliminary objection.

    The motion was brought in pursuant to the rule of the court dated Nov.18 and filed Nov. 19, 2019 in a four paragraph affidavit.

    Agu in addition informed the court that he had filed his written address and wanted to adopt same as his oral argument and urged the court to grant his prayers.

    The judge, Justice Charles Agbaza asked the first defendant’s counsel, Femi Adedeji, if he had any objection to the applications.

    Adedeji on his part did not raise any objection and Agbaza therefore in his ruling said the applications had merit and according to him granted it in the interest of justice.

    The judge also directed that hearing notice be served on the other defendants, who were absent in Monday’s proceeding.

    News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN), reports that the court had earlier refused to grant an order which came via an ex-parte motion with No. M/6809/2019 which sought an interim injunction restraining Gbajabiamila from contesting for the office of Speaker in the 9th National Assembly

    The court had also refused to grant the order praying for an interim injunction restraining the National Assembly from recognising the candidacy of Gbajabiamila for the speakership position.

    The substantive suit with No. M/6810/2019 which was equally filed before the court by way of motion on notice, was filed by Ikenga Ugochinyere and the Action People’s Party (APP) as claimants on May 30, 2019.

    Ugochinyere in the suit alleged that Gbajabiamila, who was convicted by the Supreme Court of State of Georgia, U.S., gave false information that he had no criminal record in the Form CF001 he submitted to INEC in 2011 and 2018.

    Joined as co- defendants in the suit are Clerk of the National Assembly, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector-General of Police.

  • Lawan, Gbajabiamila: Nigeria’s last undertakers [2] – Godwin Etakibuebu

    Lawan, Gbajabiamila: Nigeria’s last undertakers [2] – Godwin Etakibuebu

    By Godwin Etakibuebu

    For every profession, trade, business or in any type of human endeavours, there are specializations. Sometimes, and for reasons of success, entrants create something new to attract special attention and such creations become the specialization to increase patronage.

    This type of drive holds true in the Undertaking business too. Not that l knew of it before until the emergence of these two gentlemen; Lawan and Gbajabiamila, into this specialized and noble profession of Undertaking.

    I will like to give one example of an Undertaker who traversed the Lagos metropolis as an octopus and left his footprint in the sands of history. He was; I want to believe, the first professional Undertaker Nigeria made. He did not even decide that he was creating a “trade” in the beginning, but somehow along the line of duty, he just saw himself drifting into it until he solidly made the name. Even at that, the name Undertaker was never ascribed to him until he passed on to the great beyond. He was only known as “Gboku-Gboku”, and his name was known simply as Sunday.

    That was how “Sunday-gboku-gboku” started a profession [Undertaker] that was to expand into a very lucrative and money-spinning industry. Sunday-gboku-gboku was more popular than any other medical doctor or any hospital personnel in the Lagos General Hospital during his time. Tourists came to the place to have a glimpse of this unusual “professional”, who could mixed with the dead very comfortably. He practiced his trade with honour, dignity and respect. Like every other pathfinder into any new field of discovery, Sunday-gboku-gboku did not make money from his exploits. He was reverenced, though his honour was limited to Lagos metropolis only, to the exclusion of other parts of the country. This was in the Sixties and Seventies.

    Let us point out the traditional characteristic of an Undertaker while prying his [I am limiting it to the male gender because l have not seen females in the conspicuous business] profession. Undertaker comes operational or get employed after, and only after, the demise of somebody somewhere. Though l have been informed most reliably that the modern day Undertaker lobbies the family of the ‘rich and ageing’ in advance or ahead of the likely day of departure, through a “developed solid contact”.
    Even, having established the link of patronage well in advance of the day of “eventuality”, the Undertaker remains underground until “it happened”. They, the undertakers, don’t help preparing people to die in anticipation of boosting their trade; they come alive, with alacrity, to their trade, from the point of death, through the funerals, to the place of befitting burials.

    However Senator Ahmad Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila are bringing an angle of specialization into the Undertaking profession, maybe it is for the size of the client, which is Nigeria – the Giant of Africa. The dimension of specialization these two gentlemen lawmakers have introduced is in quickening the demise; I mean death, of this client before embarking on the other side of the profession – the side of taking command of the funeral to the burial. It is not that I even have the assurance that after “professionally putting this client to death”, these two lawmakers might be participating in the funeral and burial. This might be for the reason that the two men may not be there to compose the burial song or sing the Nunc Dimittis.

    How did these two privileged Nigerians arrive the point of assigning themselves this most perfidious responsibility? It is good we take a short voyage of discovery to the beginning.

    It all started on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, when the National Assembly was inaugurated. Senator Lawan and Honourable Gbajabiamila were the two contraptions Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu prepared for the seats of the Senate Presidency and Speakership of the House of Representative respectively – a contraption that was acceptable to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, and was to be forced through the throat of the National Assembly members.

    The venture failed by some miscalculations, in addition to a conspiracy from the most unlikely quarter – from the Villa; which readers may find difficult to believe [we shall give the details at a future date, by the grace of God]. That failure brought in Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as Speaker – House of Representative. That 8th National Assembly’s leadership emerged independently of both the Executive and the Ruling Political Party, thereby bringing to fruition an Assembly that was fully prepared to carry out its duty on two dimensions.

    One, it carried out its duty of checks and balances over all other organs of government, including the Executive. Two, it exercised its liberty as one of the three essentials arms of government, and as such was never a rubber-stamp Legislature. It became one of those few National Assemblies of this Republic that represented the people – voters or electorate, adequately, to a larger extent.

    By an intervention of political manipulation and permutation, the discarded contraptions of Bola Tinubu in 2015 were exhumed and planted at the place of leadership for the 9th National Assembly, by the Executive, using the instrumentality of the Ruling Party leadership. The two men so planted were taking through a very rigorous pre-installation rudiment. For example, one of them, who was supposed to be a stout Christian was suddenly seen in Mecca performing Hajj and was later seen praying with President Buhari at the Muslim praying ground in Abuja on one Friday.

    It was really a very rigorous induction both men were taken through, before they were sworn-in as Numbers Three and Four highest political office holders in Nigeria in order of hierarchy. That became the making of the 9th rubber-stamp National Assembly.

    Of course, both men have confessed publicly at different occasions that they would do whatever the Executive Branch of Government asked them to do. And they have been doing exactly what they said they would do. What this mean is that we have a National Assembly; an assemblage of elected 360 members in the House and 109 in the Senate, individually elected by millions of Nigerians, surrendering the loyalty they owe to the Nigerian people; who elected them into office, to the Executive – the President, through the compromising instrument of two sellouts – Senator Ahmad Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila.

    In interpretation, what the Nigerian people want in this political dispensation may not come to them but what the President of the Federal Republic wants – courtesy of the last two Undertakers for the Nigerian Nation State.
    Adieu Nigeria!

    Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.
    Contact:
    Twitter: @godwin_buebu
    Facebook: Godwin Etakibuebu
    Facebook Page: Veteran Column
    Phone: +234-906-887-0014 – short messages only.
    You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].

  • Lawan, Gbajabiamila: Nigeria’s last undertakers – Godwin Etakibuebu

    Lawan, Gbajabiamila: Nigeria’s last undertakers – Godwin Etakibuebu

    By Godwin Etakibuebu

    The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines undertaker in these three categories:

    1. One who undertakes: one who takes the risk and management of business: ENTEREPRENEUR
    2. One whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals
    3. An Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries.

    The Oxford Dictionary of English, on the other hand, defines undertaker as “a person whose business is preparing dead bodies for burial or cremation and making arrangements for funerals”.

    Not being too significantly different, the Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “a person whose business is to prepare the dead to be buried or cremated [= burned] and to organize funerals”, while the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary merely added the word Mortician to the definition of the Undertaker. Bringing Mortification to the definition really is saying that an Undertaker is also a Mortician.

    Mario Puzo; that great author, created and established prominent role for the Undertaker or Mortician, in his most popular book – The Godfather. In the book; the character Godfather – Don Corleone, called Amerigo Bonasera; a very great Undertaker [Mortician] to reconstruct [remold] the damaged face of his dead son – Sonny, because, according to the Mafia Don, “I don’t want the mother to see him like this”.

    What this brief recall of Don Corleone’s invitation to Amerigo Bonasera [in the book – The Godfather] throws up is the revelation that mortification; which is an art of beautification, can sometimes be part of the Undertaking profession. It means that in some cases the Undertaker takes additional steps in beautifying the corpse [dead] so as to present it more attractive for the funerals.

    Let us come back to the topic of today’s discuss, which is defining the role of an Undertaker and how that role is prosecuted, with or without amendments. The object that dies needs to be cremated – in some climes, which excludes Nigeria of course. In other environment, which suites the Nigerian philosophy, proper burial of the dead – defines as “planting the dead body inside the ground”, called grave, involves. The process of bringing the body [to be buried] from place it is preserved or place of death, or even place of retrieval [some dead are recovered from the sea, river, stream, car accident or even plane crash sites], through the process of ceremony – culturally and traditionally or otherwise, until the process of committing the dead to mother earth, is supervised by an Undertaker. And the process involves is the funerals. Every funeral has an Undertaker – it might be a professional or not even be, but whoever supervises the process is the Undertaker.

    Let me make another valid point quickly here, to wit: it is not only human beings that die, animals also die, and we have heard weird stories of how some millions of Dollars have been set aside for burial of some animals in some countries of the world. When such happens, talking of “appropriately befitting burial for animals”, professional Undertaker takes charge on appointment.

    Beyond human being and animals, other things die also. For example, languages “die”, except that when a language “dies”, it is referred to as “going into extinction”. Rivers, streams, creeks, trees, mountains and many other things die.

    Then the great one: Languages die, Races die, Nations die and Countries also die. I will give just a few examples of dying languages; which represent races, nations and countries around the world. There are 196 countries all over the world currently [2019], speaking 7,097 languages as against 7,102 languages spoken in the world just two years [2017] back. What happened? In just a space of two years, 5 languages have gone into extinction – they died so to say. Let me add this about extinction of Languages, as it will help us to understand that countries also die.

    During the 2nd millennium BC, only seven languages became extinct but as the years past, the number of dead languages increased like rapid-fire. The highest number of languages lost was during the 20th century when a total of 110 languages were declared extinct. Already this century 12 languages have been classified as dead. The most recent being the Klallam language, when in February 2014 Hazel Sampson, its last native speaker passed away. Klallam was the traditional language of the Klallam natives living on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state and Vancouver Island’s Beecher Bay in British Columbia.

    On countries that have died [gone extinction]? Only two examples will suffice here.

    1. Czechoslovakia existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until it peacefully dissolute into the Czech and Slovakia Republics on January 1, 1993. The name Czechoslovakia died – it is now a story of a country that was.
    2. Yugoslavia was a country in Southeastern and Central Europe for most of the 20th century. It came into existence after World War 1 in 1918, under the name of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, until it consolidated to become Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It could not negotiate its separation peacefully, like what happened in Czechoslovakia, but instead, break into pieces, so much that there are about 6 countries or more emanated from the ruins of Yugoslavia – Croatia, Slovenia, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and others. It is the story of a country that was. Yes, it was because it died.

    At any rate, the two countries used above as evidence that countries do die, had Undertakers that process them through funerals of proper/decent or improper/indecent “burials”.

    Going back to the topic of this discussion; which are the self-assigned roles of becoming Nigeria’s last two Undertakers, by Senator Ahmad Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, the Nigerian Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives respectively, we need to establish some facts about the health status of the Nigerian State.

    Is the country sick? Are there evidences that a likely service of Undertaker for the Nigerian State is becoming imminent? What are the characteristic of a terminal sickness or even signs of an entity going into extinction about Nigeria?

    We need to get answers to these questions first before looking at the two gentlemen [Lawan and Ghajabiamila]’s offer of becoming Nigeria’s last two Undertakers.

    Let us continue the evaluation next week.

    Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.

    Contact:

    Twitter: @godwin_buebu

    Facebook: Godwin Etakibuebu

    Facebook Page: Veteran Column

    Phone: +234-906-887-0014 – short messages only.

    You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].

  • Gbajabiamila declares Niger seat vacant

    House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has declared vacant the seat of Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency in Niger State.

    The member representing the constituency, Illiyasu, died on December 2, 2019, and his demise was announced on the floor of the House on December 3 during plenary.

    The Speaker’s letter declaring the seat vacant was read on the floor of the House during yesterday’s plenary by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase.

    The Speaker said the declaration of the seat vacant is in line with the constitution.

    He added that it would enable the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a by-election in the area within the constitutionally stipulated period.

  • Gbajabiamila to members: You can no longer walk away from plenary after signing register

    The days when members sign attendance register in the Chamber and walk away is gone for good, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila told his colleagues on Thursday.

    Gbajabiamila spoke while ruling on a Point of Order by a member, Haruna Dederi, who observed that the quorum was not formed on the floor as members debated a motion on drug abuse.

    Dederi, while speaking on the Point of Order, noted that members were very few in the Chamber and a quorum of 120 members was not formed.

    But, Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu said a quorum cannot be determined by the number of members in the Chamber.

    According to him, “some members have come, signed in the chamber and left for committee assignments and oversight.”

    House Leader Ado Doguwa said it is an established tradition, admitting that the number of members in the Chamber did not reflect quorum.

    Gbajabiamila, who said the House would have to suspend its rules, if the debate would continue, noted that the usual excuse to continue plenary when the quorum is not formed is wrong.

    He referred members to Order 4 Rule 2, saying the House should keep to the spirit of the rule.

    The order says:

    • The quorum of the House shalt be: one-third of all the members of the House.
    • If any member draws the attention of the Speaker to the fact that a quorum of the House is not present, or if, from the number of members taking part in a division, including those members who declined to vote, it appears that a quorum is not constituted, the Speaker shall cause members to be summoned as if for a division.
    • At the expiration of 15 minutes from such order, the Speaker shalt count the House and, if a quorum is not then constituted, shall adjourn the House forthwith.”

    Gbajabiamila said that things should be done in conformity with the rules of the House.

    “If the intention was that people should come at 10am, sign and go; then, we’re kidding ourselves. We cannot be conducting sitting with 10 members. Hon. Elemelu, I hereby rule you out of order.

    “On the issue of committee work, I’m inclined to agree with that. That’s important and part of sitting of the House. But just to play safe and for future, move for suspension of the rule so we can continue.”

    Also yesterday, the House resolved to probe all the roads constructed by the Federal Government across the country since 2007 to date

    The decision followed the passage of a motion by Dachung Musa Bagus, titled: “Motion on the daily death of Nigerians as result of bad roads in Nigeria” under Matters of Urgent Public Importance at the plenary.

    The House mandated the Richard Olufemi Bamisile-led Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to investigate all roads constructed by the Federal Government since 2007 till date and report by to House within few weeks for further legislative action.

    The House urged the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to include the construction and rehabilitation of the bad roads in the country in the priority list for the 2020 budget.

    Bagus, while moving the motion , said: “Notes the challenges caused by poor nature of our roads in the country, which are in deplorable condition which make it difficult for road users and commuters to without recording avoidable loss of life and enormous damage to vehicles.

    “Also notes that, most Federal Highways were constructed in the 1970’s and since then, no major quality construction or rehabilitation has been carried out on these important links.

    “Further note that these federal highways have been death traps, most of the routes that link the states to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, are on the verge of being cut off from being part of the federating units of Nigeria.

    “We are concerned that, if urgent measures are not taken to rehabilitate roads to improve the economic and commercial activities of the people in terms of infrastructural development, they will continue to wallow in abject poverty which can lead to the total collapse of the social infrastructure.

    “This can threaten the existence of some States as federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria if severed from the road network to the FCT.”

    Bagus raised concerns over the avoidable deaths being recorded on the highways due to the deplorable conditions of the roads.

    According to him, despite the billions of naira invested on repair, road accidents have claimed more lives than the dreaded Book Haram insurgency.

  • JUST IN: Service Chiefs make U-turn, honour Gbajabiamila’s invitation

    JUST IN: Service Chiefs make U-turn, honour Gbajabiamila’s invitation

    Sequel to the botched security meeting of last week, the House of Representatives leadership and relevant committees are set for another meeting with Service Chiefs.

    The stage is set as the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamola has just arrived the venue

    Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila on Friday vowed to report Security Chiefs personally to President Muhammadu Buhari for snubbing a security meeting convened by the House of Representatives.

    The meeting with the Security Chiefs for briefing on the anti-terrorism war was postponed till today.

    Details shortly…

  • TNG REPORT: Can Gbajabiamila and his 20 wise men save PIB this time?

    ..after suffering regular death sentences in NASS

    Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila is one man Nigerians should start adoring for starting another early sojourn on the almost 20years old Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB.

    This is about the fastest Assembly to commence work on the PIB and the speaker should be commended for this laudable effort towards legislative business in the ninth House.

    Recall that TNG had exclusively published three well-researched stories on PIB detailing ways and means to get this all-important Bill to fly.

    Using infographics and in-depth interviews, TNG had x-rayed the advantages of how the four components of the piece of legislation can galvanise the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

    This must have galvanised the Nigerian lawmakers to quickly set up the adhoc committee in record time.

    But can this his wise men timely deliver without going into funfair like previous adhoc committees that would wait till dying minutes of the House before submitting the PIB report?

    Will the wise men not junket around the globe attending seminars and talkshops on how to work on a Bill that is already completed?

    The Senate under the watch of Senator Bukola Saraki started early and a milestone was recorded.

    Can this wise men deliver within the next two years and at least save us the shame of passing one piece of legislation for 23years.

    If it’s passed in 2021 and if it’s not faulted by President Muhamnadu Buhari then passing it took the parliament 21years and if it came to pass that the methuselah Bill scales through the credit should be given to Gbajabiamila.

    If three assemblies could not see it through and the fourth gets it right then the 20 wise men deserve all the accolades.

    But a quick peep at these 20 wise men inaugurated on Wednesday to midwife the PIB clearly points to the fact that it may take a longer period.

    Some of the wise men include: Hon. Sada Soli (Katsina APC) Chairman, Hon. Abubakar Fulata (Jigawa, APC), Hon. Henry Nwanwuba Imo, PDP), Hon. Ali Haruna (Kano APC), Hon. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere (Edo, APC), Hon.Gogo Bright (Rivers, PDP), Hon. Babajimi Benson (Lagos,APC), Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas (Adamawa,APC) Hon. Uju Kingsley (Imo,APC) and Onofiok Luke (Akwa-Ibom PDP).

    Sada as Chairman was a very good choice considering his vast legislative experience from the sixth Assembly.

    Also as a two time Chief of Staff to Governor Aminu Tambuwal a versatile lawmaker with a Midas touch both as a speaker and governor.

    But his experience alone cannot see the PIB through or it dies on arrival.

    Babajimi Benson is a very refined and a polished meticulous lawmaker better described by his colleagues as a stainless lawmaker.

    His wealth of experience too could assist the committee. He is a second timer and a very good choice too by Mr Speaker.

    Abdulrazaq Namdas, a veteran journalist is also a good weapon after handling a sensitive committee on crude oil theft in the 8th Assembly. He is a second timer.

    Gogo Bright too has a lot to offer as he was a vibrant voice in the 8th Assembly.

    Onifiok Luke, a former president of Nigeria’s youth parliament and state Assembly member was a good pick.

    The five listed lawmakers are very visible out of the 20 Gbajabiamila wise men.

    Five over twenty is not a good score but if the wise men can eschew oily fingers then it may just be eldorado for the oldest Bill.

    The temptations from the evil men in the assembly must be avoided because out there the PIB has too many enemies willing to oil the fingers of these wise men.

    Mr Speaker has done his part it’s left for the wise men to do the needful positively.

    If the ninth Assembly fails, Nigerians may not be in a hurry to forget the promises of the previous Senate president, the present one Ahmad Lawan who promised last July that his Senate will break the PIB jinx.

    Gbajabiamila has started well but he should equally watch out for the banana peels associated with the PIB.
    On its part TNG will continue to be in the forefront to ensure the PIB sees daylight as this Bill will further transform Nigeria and Nigerians if passed into law.

    The remaining three components of the PIB must not die.

    Nigerians are waiting!