By Christiana Ekpa
House of Representatives on Wednesday urged President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to ensure the immediate release of all entitlements accrueable to members of the 3rd Republic Parliamentarians who served the country over 30 years before truncated military intervention.
Agbedi Frederick, member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayalsa state in the House of Representatives who made the call while paying host to the “Third Republic Forum and Humanity Forum” reiterated his readiness and willingness to continually do his best for the old lawmakers as well as the people and the country in general.
“I called on the Leadership of the National Assembly most especially those from the House of Representatives to pay the entitlements of the old lawmakers, further used the opportunity to commend the leadership of the Forum for the award on him.
“I am excited to be amongst my colleagues 31 years ago. Today’s event and today’s visit by a delegation from the third republic forum has come to deepen democracy in parliament.
“I am happy because not just about me. If you have served in parliament 31 years ago and now you pay courtesy call to canvass issues of deepening democracy, transparent elections, the electoral act, to turn out elections that can meet international standards, judging from their wealth experience when they contested to the House of Representatives, it is quite a welcome idea that would spur us in the 10th Assembly to deepen democracy as well.
“I want to also use this opportunity to congratulate Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was a senator in the third republic. It shows that the third republic of the National Assembly has survived over time and has kept kicking till today for me to see a lot of bright faces 31 years ago is not an easy feat in a difficult environmental like Nigeria. You can still see faces that are shining. I give God all the glory.
“And also to join them in calling on the National Assembly to do the needful. if for any reason they have kept crying out that there are things, there are entitlements, there are benefits that were cut short because of the military intervention. Of course national assembly should take the lead in ensuring that what is right is done for the people.
“So l call on Mr President who was part of the assembly to ensure that all that is their entitlement in that republic should be given to them. Of course he is also going to benefit from it being a President or not. so I want to thank you my colleagues. I want to thank Nigerians for this opportunity. It is a charge to do more and I promise that I would continue to do my best in service to the National Assembly. In service to my colleagues, present and past, in service to Nigeria so we can have a country that we can be proud of an better off and happy to be in and we can boast that we come from a country that can compete in the comity of countries across the globe” Agbedi said.
Speaking on behalf the Forum, Basil Okafor explained that the 3rd Republic member are the oldest Association of lawmakers in the country since 1999 even as they solicited assistance to face challenges of old age.
“The we travelled from our different states across the nation for the purpose of honoring Fredrick Agbedi whom had been of immense support to us and we thank Agbedi for various support to the members no matter the tribes and gender” Okafor said.
“During our time as lawmakers, there was nothing like rigging and thugery. We commend our only serving lawmaker who has consistently won elections to represent his people in Bayelsa state from 1999 to date in the Green Chambers.
