Unlike the in-house acrimony, leadership crisis and executive-legislative rancours that usually characterised past Assemblies; the 10th House of Representatives under Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas has been relatively peaceful.
The peace and harmonious working relationship under the present regime, according to the Deputy Spokesperson of the House, Hon. Philip Agbese, may not be unconnected to the stunning leadership qualities of the Honourable Speaker, Abbas and how he always carries Members along.
Hon. Agbese disclosed this while answering questions from journalists, during resumed plenary.
The House had adjourned on Saturday, 30th December, 2023, after passing the 2024 Appropriation Bill, to reconvene on Tuesday, 30th January, 2024.
According to Agbese, “the towering leadership qualities of Mr. Speaker, RT. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (Ph.D) has accounted for the peace, unity and tranquility the House currently enjoys, as well as the harmonious working relationship with the executive and the MDAs thereunder”.
He said, Nigerians are now seeing a different Parliament under Speaker Abbas, saying, the era of bickering and wasting precious time of the parliament on crisis that are seen as anti-progress and un-parliamentary, are over.
Agbese who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, also attributed the success of the passage of the 2024 Budget in record time to the maturity in the leadership of the Honourable Speaker, which has helped to sustain the January-December budget cycle.
He said, “there were times in this country when the President was bullied and yelled at when he appeared before a joint session of the National Assembly to present a budget estimates. This was done by aggrieved personalities who are Members of the Parliament.
“But you see this 10th Assembly, Members of Parliament are at peace with the executive, making the business of governance to move in neck breaking speed, to the advantage of the common people. It does not mean that the Parliament is rubber-stamped; it simply means the Lawmakers put the general interest of the people far above personal interests and both arms of government respect their boundaries in balancing their powers.”
