‘We helped avert disasters in Nigeria’ — Gbaja lauds aides at valedictory session

Femi Gbajabiamila, the outgoing speaker of the house of representatives, has commended his aides for improving his job as a presiding officer of the 9th assembly.

Gbajabiamila said in the last four years, the aides worked hard from behind the scene to enable him to accomplish far-reaching interventions, reforms, and passage of landmark legislation.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Lanre Lasisi, media adviser to the speaker, Gbajabiamila spoke on May 31, at a valedictory session organised for his aides, in Abuja.

He said through joint efforts with the aides, they helped avert “disaster more than once” in the country.

“You also rarely get credit for the quietly efficient work done behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly through various challenges and limitations,” Gbajabiamila said.

“While we will long remember the things we accomplished together, I want you to remember that by our joint efforts, we helped our beloved country avert disaster more than once, and we kept the machinery of the legislature running to the benefit of the Nigerian people.   

“While we were here, we didn’t just mark time, we made a difference. You made me a better speaker of the house of representatives. I thank you most sincerely for it.

“I want you to be as proud of these efforts as you are of the many programmes and projects we initiated and executed with flair.”

Olanrewaju Smart, chief of staff to Gbajabiamila, expressed gratitude to the speaker for providing the platform and creating the enabling environment for the aides to contribute to nation-building.

“By all estimates, the 9th house of representatives has been one of the most productive legislatures in the history of our democracy,” Smart said.

“This office and the people in it have been instrumental in all these accomplishments.  That is a legacy we can all be proud of.”

Smart presented to the speaker a handover document — a novel initiative highlighting the aides’ achievements, challenges, and recommendations.

“It may surprise some of you that this is the first time such a document has been produced in the house of representatives or the national assembly for that matter,” he said.