IN TOGETHERNESS WE DELIVER ONOUR MANDATE

BEING TEXT OF REMARKS BY RT. HON.AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL CFR, SPEAKER,HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEDERALREPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, ON THE OCCASIONOF THE OPENING OF THE THIRD SESSION OFTHE SEVENTH ASSEMBLY, HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES CHAMBERS,ABUJA, TUESDAY 25TH JUNE 2013.

Protocols:I am glad to welcome us back from the end of

session break. I give thanks to the almighty Godfor protecting and bringing all of us back safely tocommence this third session.

2. We can all recall with some level ofappreciation that when we started out this journeyon 6th of June 2011, the situation looked terriblydaunting and unassailable given the myriad ofchallenges that stared us in the face: weinstantaneously found ourselves at the crossroadsof decision between law and whims of individualsand cartels, on a critical but all important issue asto who determines for us as an institution who ourleaders should be. In togetherness as democrats,we opted to choose our own leaders and God

blessed our decision that we were right in ourtogetherness. It was a decision about institutionalself identity not of selfish individualagg ra nd izement.

3. Again we were in the quagmire of a highlydepleted and fast dwindling public image,confidence and goodwill, the processof redemption called for unmitigated self sacrificeand absolute commitment to the pursuit of thepublic good. In togetherness we willingly chosemodesty and self discipline as a deliberateoperating strategy, God who deciphers the innerconviction of man prospered our cause and thus,while we may not yet have attained the object oftotal image redemption, in togetherness we aretold we have, at least, arrested the drift.

4. These experiences have shown that there ISpower in togetherness, that there isaccomplishment in togetherness and above all thatthere is victory in togetherness. Surely thechallenges ahead are more formidable than thosegone bye but I am confident that together we canachieve and deliver on our mandate.

5. My dear Honourable Colleagues, I refer to thesheer number of critical bills awaiting passagesuch as the Constitutional Amendment Bill, thePetroleum Industry Bill, Electoral

Act (Amendment) Bill among others; in thearea of oversight you are aware of our resolve tostep up activity in order to ensure improved budgetperformance, probity and good governancegenerally. Accordingly in a matter of days theHouse will suspend plenary and embark onoversight of the 2013 budget implementation. Ineed not remind us of the need to hold tenaciouslythe representation duty of promoting andprotecting the interest of our Constituents and theNigerian people at large. We must respondpromptly to their concerns and plight and at alltimes insist on accountability, probity and goodgovernance.

6. As we commence the second half of ourtenure, we must sustain our focus on the ultimateobjective of dealing decisively with unemployment,poverty and insecurity. As I observed recently wemust not allow insecurity to overwhelm us in ourdrive towards economic prosperity. The LegislativeAgenda we fashioned for ourselves has guided usthus far and we hope to stick to it subject towhatever modification we might effect in view ofthe mid-term review and inputs received frommembers of the public.

7. It is also appropriate to remind ourselves thatbeyond the challenges routine to our functions asLegislators, an even bigger challenge is fast

approaching. I am referring to 2015 and thegathering clouds of politicking: first we must resistthe temptation to beat the gun, we have anelectoral umpire whose gun sound we mustawait; secondly we must resist being distractedfrom the execution of our mandate which is onlyhalf done and finally but perhaps more importantlywe must make a difference by rising against everyattempt to cause disaffection among Nigerians.

8. Preparatory to 2015, many have startedintroducing political doctrines that are alien todemocracy and destructive to peaceful socialcoexistence in a civilized society, they are busyfanning the embers of partisan hate and strife.According to this new doctrine it is a politicaloffense for a member of one political party toexchange greetings with someone in anotherpolitical party, it is indeed a heinous crime for oneto visit, attend the burial, birthday, coronationwedding or any such ceremony of someone in anopposing political party. The proponents of thisshameful doctrine not only offend our sensibilitiesthey constitute an affront on the whole essence ofdemocracy and civilized coexistence and must behalted before they do incalculable damage to ourpolity. My dear colleagues we refuse to bestudents of this school of thought.

9. At this juncture I am strongly persuaded to

state once again that from the little that we know,there is dichotomy between politics andgovernance. Thus there is a difference between acandidate in electoral contest on the platform of apolitical party and an elected official who hasassumed a non partisan responsibility and takenoath to protect and preserve the constitution, toserve the people and the nation. While the formeris not merely at liberty but under a duty to bepartisan, the latter must conduct himself in amanner worthy of the call to non partisanship ingovernance. Needless to say thatgenerally, whenever partisan interests conflict withnational interest it is partisan interests that must besacrificed in the preservation of the nationalinterest. The oath we take is that ofconstitutionalism and national service and not ofsuffocating partisanship.

10. Again while we are clamouring for thedeepening of democracy including internal partydemocracy, there has arisen a new groupchampioning the obnoxious cause of thedeepening of internal party autocracy anddemagoguery. This is inexcusable and indeedreprehensible at this time in our history. Dissent isa healthy element in any democratic setting andthose who equate loyalty to sycophantic follower-ship not only miss the point but put democracy atrisk.

11. For our part we should continue the strugglefor promotion of the building of strong institutionsrather than strong men both at the level ofgovernment as well as political parties. That iswhere the salvation of our democracy and indeedour nation rests. Furthermore institutions arecreations of the law and they must be run inaccordance with the prescriptions of the lawsestablishing them rather than on makeshiftexpediencies.

12. To all Nigerians we wish to most sincerelyappreciate your partnership, cooperation,confidence and goodwill inspite of our limitations.Let me assure once again that we are determinedmore than ever before to meet your yearnings andaspirations. We cannot afford to squander yourgoodwill by doing less than we have pledged to do.As long as our people remain hungry, as long aspeople continue to die needlessly from violentcrimes, and as long as our people continue to livein poverty and want in a nation blessed with suchabundance, we cannot kill the man in us bykeeping silent.

13. To our media and civil society partners wecommend you for commitment, dedication andpatriotism. Rest assured that the good people ofNigeria whom you serve appreciate the good work

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the second half of our journey, we must resolve torededicate ourselves to making the legislature thecornerstone of our nation's revival and thebulwarks of democracy. Once again thank you, onbehalf of leadership, for your support, trustandmaturity. May this mutual trust that has boundus together from the beginning abide with us till theend of our journey.

15. May God Almighty prosper our efforts andgrant us a most eventful third session.

16. Thanks and God bless us all.