The 8th House of Representatives has ended its tenure after four years in office and has adjourned indefinitely in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
This was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion by the Majority Leader of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) at the end of the valedictory session on Thursday in Abuja.
Earlier, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara said that the house was inauguration on June 9, 2015. He appreciated the members for the confidence reposed in him and for electing him speaker of the house in 2015.
Dogara said that the house passed a total of 382 bills out of which 76 were assented to by the President, adding that with 382 bills passed by the 8th Reps, it had surpassed records of all previous assemblies.
Dogara said that the 8th Reps was the most harassed in the history of the country, yet it sustained the legacies of its past leaders.
“It appears we are losing the fight against violence and as if that is not bad enough, the situation is so dire that known statesmen are becoming petrified and speaking up in ways that may further rend our national fault lines.
“It is like we refused to hear the whispers and now the screams are threatening our ear drums. This is a national problem that we can only solve if we pull ourselves together and not apart regardless of political persuasions or creed.
“The challenge is to get the leadership that throws out politics and partisanship out of the window.
“Leadership that reins in all our best human and material resources to confront these menacing challenges.
“Yet, instead of uniting to confront this very danger, all one hears are sermons of divisiveness and permutations for 2023 elections. I wonder if this is not how the bottom looks like,” he said.
The legislator said that the parliament was not designed to be an alter of praise for the Executive but a co-equal branch to serve as a check on Executive power.
Dogara charged members-elect of the 9th National Assembly to be determined to raise the bar of the records of the 8th assembly, especially on the issue of flawed elections.
The Deputy Speaker of the house, Rep. Yussuff Lassun (APC-Osun) appreciated members for voting him into office.
He said some person did not believe in him and were of the view that he would mess up the office but in the end, he did well.
Lassun who would not return for the 9th Assembly urged returning member to uphold the rules and traditions of the house.
The Majority Leader of the house, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) said though the 8th assembly started on a rocky soil, the leadership style of the speaker and maturity of members stabled the ship.
Gbajabiamila said that he would miss members who would not return and urged those re-elected to work hard to further build the institution.
The Chairman, Rules and Business, Rep. Edward Pwajock (PDP-Plateau) said that a total of 1,643 bills were introduced by the house.
He said that the house passed a total of 382 bills adding that 70 of the bills originated from the Executive, while 108 bills came from the Senate seeking concurrence and 1465 bills were private member bills.
He said that a total of 1588 motions were sponsored, 1413 motions were resolved while 17 withdrawn.
He said that over the period of the legislative life of the 8th assembly, 1192 petitions were received and laid before the house.
The ceremony was attended by Gov. Emeka Ihedioha of Imo, former speakers and principals officers of the house as well as by former clerks.
The 9th assembly will be inaugurated on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (NAN)
