The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has reiterated that contrary to popular opinion, the current National Assembly is not a rubber stamp. On the other hand, he also stated that he was not elected to fight the Executive but to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to bring dividends of democracy.
The Speaker of the House said this on Sunday at his annual End of the Year Grassroots Empowerment Programme which took place in Surulere, Lagos. “The fact is that the National Assembly is not a rubber stamp. This is a National Assembly that represents the interests of the people. The people of Surulere did not elect me to fight the Executive but to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to bring dividends of democracy,” he said.
“This is a new dispensation. There will be checks and balances. There will be separation of powers. We will agree with the executive if we have to, and we will disagree if we have to. Our watchword is to protect the interests of the Nigerian people. That is the oath I and my colleagues swore to”. Also addressing other issues such as the recent border closure by the Federal Government, the House Speaker said it is yielding good results as Nigerian farmers are now “smiling to the bank.”
Gbajabiamila said the action by the Federal Government has forced Nigerians to now consume locally farmed products, especially Nigerian rice.
