The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has applauded President Bola Tinubu for correcting the mistakes of the past by according the House its constitutional status by conferring on its Speaker the second highest national honour – Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
Tinubu had during his Independence Day Anniversary address to Nigerians on Tuesday, October 1, announced the conferment of the national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker of the House and GCON on the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as well as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
But, the House on Wednesday, through a motion by Hon. Philip Agbese (APC, Benue State) and 249 other lawmakers, called on the President to correct past mistakes by according the House Speaker the same status as the Senate President in the conferment of the National Honours.
The House had decried the discrimination it had suffered over the years not just regarding the National Honours but also in some quarters, where a segment of Nigerians referred to it as the “lower chamber” even when the constitution places both chambers of the National Assembly on the same pedestal.
Sequel to the resolution of the House, President Tinubu on Friday night through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the reversal of his pronouncement and conferred the GCON title on the Speaker.
Reacting to the development, Speaker Abbas, in a statement issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, on Saturday evening, said President Tinubu has demonstrated good leadership in his action.
“I thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for correcting the mistakes by past administrations of not according the House its constitutional recognition. The President has once again demonstrated his democratic credentials of being a true democrat, an objective and a listening leader.
“With this development, Nigeria and indeed the world, now know that the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has the same status as its sister chamber, the Senate, and is treated as such.
“I thank the President for heeding the voices of reason from the House and other well-meaning Nigerians,” the Speaker said.
Speaker Abbas equally congratulated the 10th House of Representatives “for this historic achievement.”
He thanked his colleagues for rising against the age-long discrimination of the House, which he said has been corrected through their efforts.
