News

Reps Hold Valedictory Session In Honour Of 4th Assembly Speaker, Late Ghali Na’Abba

Published

11 months ago

February 22, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

Reps Hold Valedictory Session In Honour Of 4th Assembly Speaker, Late Ghali Na’Abba

…colleagues describe him as one who gave his life for the nation

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has held a Valedictory Session is held in honour of Speaker of the fourth Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, on Thursday at the National Assembly.

This is in accordance with the tradition of the House, when a former or sitting members passes on.

Naijablitznews.com reports that the former Speaker died on December 27, 2023, in Nigeria.

In accordance with the House rules, the Leader of the House, Rep. Julius Ihonbvere, moved the motion for the commencement of the Valedictory Session and it was seconded by the House Minority Leader, Rep. KingsleyChinda.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that on Wednesday at plenary the House moved a motion for the admission of non members into the Lower Legislative Chamber for today’s ValedictorySession.

Former members of the National Assembly from 1999 till 2023 were present and they include former Speakers Aminu Bello Masari, Femi Gbajabiamila, former Deputy Speakers Chibudum nwuche, Austin opara, Lasun Yusuf, Emeka ihedioha, former House leaders Bawa bwari, Ahmed Gamaliel among others.

Also present at the session was the family of the late Ghali Umar Na’Abba.

In his opening speech, Speakerof the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, described the deceased with his simplicity, modest and religious man who gave his life for the service of the nation.

He said: “While this is a moment of grief and national mourning it is a moment of celebration and sober reflection. As we reflect on his life we are reminded of our democracy”.

Former Speaker and current Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, described Late Na’Abba as a talented politician, worthy public servant and ‘a true Nigerian whose death has brought us sorrow”.

“I appear in mixed emotions but I take solace that we are here not to mourn but to celebrate a giant.

“The evident abound that he lived a very good life. He was a follower of Mallam Aminu Kano and was concerned about the downtrodden in the country.

“He served the downtrodden and chose to be a servant of the people, his voice was to speak for the voiceless”, he stated.

According to Gbajabiamila, “Our democracy is young but after two decades we have become comfortable with the present situation. When we returned to democracy in 1999 the political rules that guided us today was not there but Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba understood what it took to lead the House.

“As a Speaker, I consulted with him on a regular basis and I thank him for that. He was a beloved father, brother a mentor and guardian”.

Former Speaker Aminu Bello Masari who spoke on behalf of the Body of Former Speakers said the history of the legislature cannot be written without the name of Late Ghali Umar Na’Abba.

According to Masari, Ghali has paid his dues and he prayed for God to grant him eternal rest.

He added: “For those of us who were with Ghali from 1999-2003, I remember when the House was constituted none of us had any experience of legislative duties. We had an executive who was a former military General with no experience of democracy. This was the situation that Ghali found himself at that particular situation.

“Ghali came from a radical political background and it gave him courage to face the situation.

“He was a distinguished Nigerian and parliamentarian, he had the courage to provide leadership under such difficult times. But he survived and completed his tenure despite all the challenges. The sad part of it in Nigeria is that you are taken care of when you are dead and not when you are alive”.

Masari therefore the lawmakers to provide leadership that will give the citizens hope.

Hon. Chibudum Nwuche spoke on behalf of the Body of Deputy Speakers, described the late Ghali Na’Abba as a “Leader Per Excellence” who led the House in the 4th Assembly without a compass.

Hon. Nwuche stated: “Between 1999-2003, I had the singular opportunity to serve under two Speakers, Hon. Salisu Buhari and Hon. Ghali Na’Abba. This House was full of members who had dreams for the country and were independent.

“Ghali ensured the NDDC Act was passed in the Assembly and Ghali ensured that he mobilized the House to override the President’s Veto. Ghali passed the Act without the President. They tried to remove us several times but with the support of members we stayed till full term”.

The former deputy speaker said the late Ghali was a leaders that should be mortalized. “Ghali was a good man”, he added.

On behalf of the Body of Principal Officers, Hon. Bawa Bwari, described today as a day of mixed feelings.

He said: “We had a special bond filled with mutual trust. He was a mentor. I recall the countless times we worked side by side in transparency. He was a pillar, strength and beacon of hope”.

Hon. Bwari said one of his qualities was fearlessness and he always worked for what he believed in.

“What I will always remember was his ability to unite a House of various divides. He impacted on me, the 1999 House and Nigerian.

“Na’Abba has left a void in the House of 1999”, he added.

Senator Binta Masi Garba, who spoke on behalf of female parliamentarians, described how the late Former Speaker gave all 12 female parliamentarians in the 4th House the same opportunity to assent “our contributions to nation building”.

“He was a dogget fighter, detribalized Nigerin. What the National Assembly is doing today, he was the man that started and gave the independence of the parliament”, she asserted.

The House Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, described the late Ghali Na’Abba as a nationalist.

He narrated his experience with the late Former Speaker: “I schooled with one of his children when I did my Masters in Law. I bought handout and text book for one of his daughter and she went home and told the father who insisted on speaking with me. Her father had asked her how she got the books and she told him it was a serving Honourable member that bought it.

“I had the benefit of speaking with him and one of the things he told me was that the time had come for the counter to make a difference in the lives of the downtrodden.

“This spurred me and today we have presented three bills on constitutional amendment.

“Firstly there are several Ghali Na’Abba” living today, please let’s begin to locate them. Secondly, I want us to tap from what we are seeing today, that it is not “How Far”, “How Long” but “How Well”.

“Thirdly, from the life of Ghali everything made, created, were made to bring life to other. A little selfishness and more selflessness will bring joy to the minority”, Rep. Chinda narrated.

Naijablitznews.com reports that the foremost statesman who passed on at the age of 65, was a passionate and courageous public servant who spent his life in service to the country. He made remarkable contributions to the development of the legislature and has been described as one among a special breed of Nigerian lawmakers.

A Kano-born politician, Rt. Hon. Na’Abba served in the crucial office of Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, before fate thrust on him the leadership of the House on July 29, 1999, as the 7th indigenous Speaker of the Nigeria House of Representatives.

News

Speaker Abbas expresses sorrow over Niger tanker explosion, multiple fatalities

Published

1 hour ago

January 19, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has described the tanker explosion in Niger State as tragic and unfortunate, saying the death toll is alarming.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that a tanker on high speed conveying Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) had crashed on Saturday morning at Dikko Junction, Niger State, along the Abuja-Kaduna highway

The Niger State authorities had put the death toll at 86, with 55 people injured and taken to hospital. The corpses have been given a mass burial at Dikko.

Speaker Abbas, in a condolence message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, lamented that the accident caused the loss of many lives in a terrific and shocking manner.

The Speaker, who called for proper investigation of the accident by relevant authorities, urged motorists to be cautious while driving.

Speaker Abbas commiserated the families of those who lost their lives while praying for the speedy recovery of those who sustained injuries.

He also extended his condolences to the government and the people of Niger State while praying to Allah to grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.

News

Fear as Trump’s deportation raids in US to start in Chicago immediately afte inauguration

Published

2 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

US President-elect, Donald Trump’s incoming administration plans to immediately order a series of deportation raids targeting illegal immigrants after his inauguration.

Chicago is expected to be the first major city targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of Operation Safeguard, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with planning the undertaking.

The massive deportation operation is expected to target criminals and gang members in the United States illegally and run for one week.

Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history.

Up to 200 ICE agents are being sent to Chicago to help kick off the operation on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The agency has already asked agents to volunteer for the post-inauguration raids.

“There’s gonna be a big raid across the country,” Tom Homan, who will be in charge of U.S. borders once Trump takes office, told Fox News in an interview.

Homan has previously said he will instruct ICE agents to carry out raids on illegal immigrants at their workplaces.

In addition to Chicago, the sweeping crackdown will also target other major U.S. cities with large immigrant populations.

Trump is set to take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, in an inauguration that will take place indoors.

News

Hajj: CSO lauds NAHCON’s selection of new Saudi-based service provider

Published

2 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A faith-based civil society organization, CSO that monitors and reports on Hajj and Umrah activities, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for selecting a different Saudi-based Hajj service provider for the 2025 Hajj season.

It said the decision would create healthy competition among service providers interested in efficiently, qualitatively, and satisfactorily serving Nigerian pilgrims.

The CSO, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja, said the quest for improved Hajj services has been a major challenge for Nigerian pilgrims owing to the repeated failure of providing satisfactory services.

”We applauded the decision to pick another service provider that will cater for the needs of pilgrims within the Masha’ir areas during the five days of Hajj,” he said

The national coordinator, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to monitor the pre-Hajj arrangements, said available information shows that the new company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is an experienced provider that has served top-rated Hajj countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, and ranked among the top five Hajj service providers by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

“The company served 249 706 which is the largest number of Hajj pilgrims during the 2023 hajj. They were awarded as the Best Hajj Service Providers during the 2022 Hajj by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,” he stated.

IHR said it further understood that NAHCON is planning to recruit another service provider to provide services for very important personalities, VIP pilgrims so as not to repeat the experience of previous years, which is also a desired step forward.

It, however, urged NAHCON to set a parameter of performance for the newly selected service providers to serve as a baseline for determining continuous patronage, advising that such criteria should be based on pilgrims’ satisfaction and adherence to contractual terms.