President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, May 29, rounded off his visit to the National Assembly with the commissioning of the National Assembly Library. The edifice which was built in the 9th Assembly, is, however, named now named after President Tinubu.
Speaking at the event, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, used the occasion to tell President Tinubu that the lawmakers are expecting the 2024 Supplementary Bill.
Addressing President Tinubu, the Senate President said: “This is your National Assembly. The Senators and members of the House of Representatives have asked me to congratulate you on your first anniversary.
“Before you came, myself and my brother, Tajudeen Abbas, explained the purpose of this visit to the joint session. That this is what we call in Nollywood, waka pass. You intend to celebrate Democracy Day, which is June 12. But that out of honour and respect for the National Assembly, you said you must pass through the National Assembly on your first anniversary in office.
“Of all the significant things you have done, I think one of the most profound is to take us back to the genealogy of our birth. That though we may belong to different tribes, though we may have different tongues, in brotherhood we all stand.
“Henceforth, we will not refer to ourselves as mere compatriots, we will refer to ourselves as brothers. And as we go forth in battle, whether in the field of sports, politics, economic endeavours, we must hail Nigeria. And so, we are all saying today, Mr. President, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee!’
“There is no better place to commence this revolution of going back to our genealogy than the National Assembly. Made up of patriotic, not just representatives, but elected representatives of the people of Nigeria. The voice of the National Assembly is the voice of Nigeria.”
Speaking earlier before the arrival of President Tinubu, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, apologized for the misinformation over the President’s visit. He attributed the mistake to the National Assembly.
He informed that “The President has said that whatever speech we have to give should be shifted to June 12. Which is Democracy Day. So, to this effect, the President will flag-off recitation of the old national anthem. After giving assent to it and, after that, proceed to other important engagements.”
However, in his vote of thanks, Abbas thanked President Tinubu for his support to the National Assembly in the last one year.
The Speaker described Tinubu as “a true democrat who has seen it all. A former Governor; former Senator; leader of the party; and now the President.
“I want you to know, Mr. President, that we, in the National Assembly, are very pleased with your scorecard. And also, with your performance so far.
“The National Assembly is very thankful for the partnership that has existed within the past one year. It has been a partnership that has been mutually beneficial to all of us. It is a win-win and that is how democracy is supposed to be played.
“We will always be there to support you, partner with you and collaborate with you. We want to thank you for bringing back our national anthem. The one we grew up with, especially those of us above 50.
“For the younger ones, when you read it, you will understand why it is good for Nigeria to revisit its former national anthem. If we can follow it to a logical conclusion, it will be better for this nation,” the Speaker added.
source: Vanguard
Follow us for more news on our WhatsApp News Channels @
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaC505jB4hdZ5Yx9g82U