We will not allow breakdown of law, order in any state legislature -Gbajabiamila

By Christiana Ekpa

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has vowed that the National Assembly would not sit and watch the breakdown of law and order in any Nigeria’s state Houses of Assembly.
Represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon.Ahmed Idris Wase at a roundtable event for conference of speakers of state Houses of Assembly on Tuesday in Lagos, Gbajabiamila recalled that the National Assembly, being the apex legislative institution of the country made positive interventions that saw to the amicable resolution of the challenges recently faced by the state legislatures in Bauchi and Edo States.
“For the avoidance of any doubts, the National Assembly is the head of the legislature in Nigeria. Events of recent weeks in some parts of the country tended to go in the wrong direction, but we are glad that intervention by the National Assembly has brought wisdom to play, particularly in Bauchi and Edo States”
He added that such interventions by the National Assembly are necessary to safeguard the institution.
“I want to assure you that the National Assembly would not allow any breakdown of law and order in any state assembly, let alone to contemplate any vacuum”, he stated at the event organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)
He enjoined the speakers on the need for caution in the discharge of their functions, with a view to ensuring the sanctity of the legislature as an institution. “My distinguished speakers, i must point here that there is a need for caution. The caution lies in our collective efforts to ensure that the work of lawmakers, be it at the state or national level does not suffer any infringement.
“We must not only be seen to be working, but work in a way that our work would speak for us. Of particular note is the need to point out the sanctity of the National Assembly which must be recognized”, he said.