The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that contrary to popular opinion, the current National Assembly is not a rubber stamp.
According to him, the purpose of his election by members of his constituency is not to fight the Executive but to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to bring dividends of democracy.
Gbajabiamila spoke on Sunday at his annual End of the Year Grassroots Empowerment Programme which took place in Surulere, Lagos.
He said, “The fact is that the National Assembly is not a rubber stamp. This is a National Assembly that represents the interests of the people. The people of Surulere did not elect me to fight the Executive but to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to bring dividends of democracy.
“This is a new dispensation. There will be checks and balances. There will be separation of powers. We will agree with the executive if we have to, and we will disagree if we have to. Our watchword is to protect the interests of the Nigerian people. That is the oath I and my colleagues swore to”.
The speaker, in apparent endorsement of the the recent border closure by the Federal Government, said it is yielding good results as Nigerian farmers are now “smiling to the bank.”
He said the action by the Federal Government has forced Nigerians to now consume locally farmed products, especially Nigerian rice.
