Celebrating Gbajabiamila’s Twin Babies In NASS By Philip Agbese

<p>Celebrating<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As the dust settles on the newly renovated main Chambers of the National Assembly&comma; a sense of pride and accomplishment fills the air&period; As I sit down to write this piece&comma; I can’t help but marvel at the transformation that has taken place within the hallowed halls of the National Assembly&comma; all thanks to the indomitable spirit and vision of Rt&period; Hon&period; Femi Gbajabiamila&period; The recent renovation of the main Chambers of the National Assembly&comma; which now houses the Representatives and the Senate&comma; is nothing short of a dream come true&period; The newly established National Assembly Library and Research Centre stands as evidence of the unwavering dedication of Femi Gbajabiamila&comma; the current Chief of Staff to the President&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Book of History was filled again with overwhelming salient paragraphs when the Chief of Staff to the President and immediate past&comma; Speaker&comma; House of Representatives&comma; Rt&period; Hon Femi Gbajabiamila&comma; CFR visits the new National Assembly Library&sol;Resource Centre and the Newly renovated House of Representatives Chambers&comma; projects facilitated in the 9th Assembly under Gbajabiamila’s leadership&period; There&comma; he was received by the Speaker of the House of Representatives&comma; Rt&period; Hon&period; Abbas Tajudeen&comma; Ph&period;D&period;&comma; principal officers&comma; and other members of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly on Monday&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In a manner reminiscent of a woman in the labour room discovering she’s been carrying twins&comma; the unveiling of these projects has brought an unexpected and delightful surprise to the forefront&period; The parallel between the birth of new life and the rebirth of the National Assembly is both humorous and enlightening&comma; underscoring the unforeseen potential that lay dormant&comma; waiting to be realized&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>What sets these achievements apart is not just their aesthetic appeal but the fact that they were executed and delivered by indigenous contractors&period; The successful completion of these projects and the inspection of both facilities on Monday has confirmed what many of us have long believed – that we are more than capable of achieving greatness without relying on foreign companies who often seek to exploit us for their gain&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The inspection of these facilities has not only confirmed their quality but has also served as a resounding rebuttal to the notion that foreign companies are the only ones capable of delivering large-scale projects&period; This display of homegrown excellence stands as a testament to the ingenuity and proficiency of Nigerian contractors&comma; dispelling the myth that foreign entities hold a monopoly on quality construction&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Drawing parallels to the biblical story of Solomon completing the temple started by David&comma; the current Speaker of the House of Representatives&comma; Rt&period; Hon&period; Abbas Tajudeen&comma; Ph&period;D&period;&comma; exemplifies humility and dedication&comma; which I found admiring and worthy of note&period; Just as Solomon saw to the completion of his predecessor’s grand vision&comma; Speaker Tajudeen has carried forward Gbajabiamila’s initiatives with grace and commitment&period; Hon&period; Abbas is not given to self-aggrandizement&comma; but the one I know to be filled with total humility and respect&period; His leadership and collaborative approach have been instrumental in ensuring the successful realization of these projects&comma; thereby further reflecting Nigeria’s commitment to democratic governance&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The significance of these developments extends beyond the physical structures themselves&period; The renovated chambers and the establishment of the research center not only elevate the image of the parliament&comma; but also reflects the grandeur of renowned parliaments&comma; positioning the National Assembly as a hub for legislative research and innovation&comma; not only within Nigeria but across the African continent&period; This development opens doors for collaboration and knowledge sharing among lawmakers&comma; fostering a more informed and progressive legislative environment&period; The impact of these facilities will undoubtedly reverberate far beyond the walls of the National Assembly&comma; leaving an indelible mark on the legislative landscape&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Reflecting on my visit to the British Parliament in 2018&comma; I am struck by the uncanny resemblance between those esteemed halls and the newly refurbished chambers here in Abuja&period; This is a testament to the remarkable work of Gbajabiamila&comma; and I am honoured to witness such a significant milestone during my tenure as a member of the House&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Now let’s picture this – the National Assembly undergoing a makeover&comma; complete with a stylish new library and research centre&period; It’s as if the hallowed halls received a fabulous makeover&comma; courtesy of none other than Gbajabiamila&period; The thought of stately politicians surrounded by the trappings of modernity is enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In the spirit of education and enlightenment&comma; it’s crucial to highlight the transformative power of these developments for a clearer understanding&period; The establishment of a state-of-the-art research centre within our National Assembly is a cause for celebration&comma; as it signifies our commitment to intellectual growth and legislative prowess&period; With these new facilities&comma; the possibilities for groundbreaking research&comma; innovative legislation&comma; and collaborative efforts are simply boundless&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Special credit must also be given to Hon&period; Dan Amos&comma; the current House Committee Chairman on House Services&comma; for his outstanding supervision throughout the renovation and establishment processes&period; His meticulous oversight also ensured that these projects were executed seamlessly&comma; delivering a result that meets the highest standards&period; Hon&period; Amos and his committee can be likened to the midwives who facilitated the successful delivery of Gbajabiamila’s vision for the National Assembly&period; Their dedication and attention to detail deserve good recognition&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As I sit privileged to serve as a member of the House&comma; the transformation of the National Assembly under the leadership of Gbajabiamila has not only inspired a sense of pride but has also evoked a sense of humour and awe at the unexpected and delightful turn of events&period; The collaborative efforts and dedication of all those involved in making this dream a reality is much overwhelming and it’s a testament to the existing unity in Nigeria as a whole&comma; irrespective of party affiliations or political loyalty&period; The juxtaposition of the unexpected twin babies and the unveiling of these projects serves as a profound testament to the fulfilment of a grand vision&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Truly for a fact&comma; this recent unveiling of the refurbished chambers&comma; alongside the inauguration of the National Assembly Library and Research Centre&comma; marks a significant milestone in transforming Nigeria’s legislative hub&period; The brain behind this remarkable feat&comma; Rt&period; Hon&period; Femi Gbajabiamila has not only delivered on his vision but has also set a new standard for indigenous excellence in infrastructure development&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In conclusion&comma; the transformation of the National Assembly under the stewardship of Femi Gbajabiamila is not only a testament to his vision and leadership but a resounding declaration of the capabilities and potential of indigenous talent&period; Gbaja&&num;8217&semi;s unwavering dedication to the betterment of the National Assembly has brought about a renaissance that will leave an indelible mark on the fabric of our legislative institution&period; The humour&comma; the unexpectedness&comma; and the educational significance of these developments all coalesce to paint a picture of a man who has redefined the landscape of the National Assembly and has emerged as the perfect embodiment of fulfillment&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As we bask in the glory of these achievements&comma; let us not forget the humour and joy that accompanies such momentous occasions&period; After all&comma; laughter and lightheartedness can make even the most serious of endeavours all the more enjoyable&period; With great delight and pride&comma; I celebrate the birth of Gbajabiamila’s &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;twin babies” in the National Assembly&comma; a testament to his vision&comma; leadership&comma; and the potential of indigenous excellence&period; Cheers to Gbajabiamila and the vibrant future of the National Assembly&excl;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Agbese MHR is the Deputy Spokesperson&comma; National Assembly&&num;8217&semi;s House of Representatives&comma; writing from Abuja<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;