10th Assembly to meet yearnings of Nigerians — Speaker Abbas

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has reiterated the commitment of the 10th House to work diligently towards meeting the yearnings of Nigerians.

The Speaker stated this on Tuesday at the unveiling of the legislative agenda of the 10th House of Representatives at a brief ceremony in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

He noted that the legislative agenda of the 10th House, tagged ‘The People’s House’, is premised on the notion that the fundamental role of lawmakers is the wellbeing of their various constituents.

The lawmaker, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, stressed that though the challenges facing Nigerians are quite enormous, the task of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to address the ills is real and workable.

The Legislative Agenda, he added, is designed to provide support for the eight pillars of the Renewed Hope blueprint of the APC-led administration.

He listed the issues contained in the agenda to include strengthening good governance, economic development, improving national security, law reform, economic growth and development, social sector reform and development, inclusion and open parliament, influencing foreign policy and climate change, and environmental sustainability.

He said, “We are dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes sustainable economic growth and development. We shall use every legislative tool at our disposal to create jobs for our teeming youths, address the challenges posed by poverty, improve infrastructure, ensure top-quality and affordable healthcare, and provide security for all Nigerians.

“This agenda has identified areas for legislation and intervention. All committees are requested to integrate the agenda into their respective work plans. Members should also ensure that legislative proposals, including bills, motions, etc., are in accordance with the provisions of this agenda. The adopted structure indicates short, medium, and long-term milestones and key performance indicators to track progress easily.

“The implementation framework is designed to allow for flexibility in responding to emerging issues or crises. We have equally set up a Legislative Agenda Monitoring and Implementation Committee to ensure the religious implementation of this agenda. I charge citizens to hold us to task on the articulated issues and even more.”

That said, the Speaker called on fellow lawmakers to join hands with him in the task of implementing the agenda for the good of Nigerians.

“I call upon my esteemed colleagues in the House to join hands in pursuit of our shared vision for a better Nigeria. Let us work tirelessly to fulfil our mandate with integrity, diligence, and a deep sense of patriotism. We shall partner with our colleagues in the Senate to drive and achieve the objectives and benchmarks set out in this agenda,” he said.

On his part, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the House for leading the way in unveiling its legislative agenda, adding that the Senate version would not be different from that of the House.

“We have one nation, one destiny, one president, and one House. We must always concur and agree before any bill becomes an act of parliament. So, there is no difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate. We are working for one cause,” he said.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said a working legislature is a must for any country desirous of reaping the dividends of democracy.