Abbas Excited by His National Honour, Says Tinubu a Listening Leader

 . House commends president for awarding speaker GCON

Adewale Akinwale in Abuja

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, yesterday said by upgrading his national honour to the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated that he is a listening Leader. 

This is just as the House of Representatives has commended President Tinubu for addressing what it called a “significant historical oversight” by conferring the GCON on Abbas.

The Speaker applauded Tinubu for correcting the mistakes of the past by giving the House its constitutional status by conferring him with GCON.

Tinubu had during his Independence Day anniversary address to Nigerians on October 1, announced the conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR) on the Speaker and GCON on the President of the Senate and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

However, the House, through a motion by Hon. Philip Agbese and 249 others, called on the president to correct the mistake by granting the House the same status as the Senate in the conferment of the national honours.

The House 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.

Following the House resolution, Tinubu on Friday announced the withdrawal of the CFR honour and the conferment of the GCON on the Speaker.

Abbas, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, said President Tinubu had demonstrated good leadership in his action.

“I thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  for correcting the mistakes by past administrations of not giving 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 reasoning from the House and other well-meaning Nigerians,” the Speaker said.

 Abbas equally congratulated the 10th House of Representatives “for this historic achievement.”

He thanked his colleagues for rising against the age-long discrimination against the House, which he said has been corrected through their efforts.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has commended President Tinubu for addressing what it called a “significant historical oversight” by conferring the GCON on Abbas.

In a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the House, Akin Rotimi, the legislative body said that the action of the President had restored “parity between both chambers of the National Assembly.”

According to Rotimi, the protest by the lawmakers against the initial conferment of CFR on the speaker was not motivated by personal interest but as a matter of institutional integrity and constitutional propriety.

“The correction addresses the previous misperception that the House of Representatives was subordinate to the Senate, despite the constitution clearly stipulating both chambers as co-equal in legislative authority,” he added.