Nigeria no doubt is blessed with an array of men who by every definition and description are worthy to be called a blessing to the nation, these are men who have in various aspects dedicated their existence to the collective growth and development of the nation using their innate skills and resources to push for a better reality for everyone irrespective of status, tribe or religion. Highly notable amongst these categories of people is the 13th Speaker, House of Representative, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Highly noted as a calm and reserved proactive individual, his name has risen to become a household name in Nigeria as he has through his various achievements etched himself into the hearts of the people.
Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker of Nigeria’s 9th House of Representatives began his working career as a practicing lawyer and distinguished himself as a brilliant legal practitioner. He proceeded to set up his own law firm in Nigeria and later in Atlanta Georgia in the United States. He demonstrated his brilliance in his educational career – emerging on top of his class in Nigeria and overseas.
His active involvement in politics began in the United States where he worked for the election of Bill Campbell who later went on to become Mayor of the city of Atlanta. On his return to Nigeria, he sailed smoothly into the political scene and pitched his camp with the Bola Tinubu-led Alliance for Democracy.
Working closely with the party’s leadership, Gbajabiamila impressed his party with outstanding leadership qualities and commitment to party ideals. These qualities endeared him to the party’s leadership – which worked with him to clinch nomination for the House of Representatives’ seat in his Surulere 1 constituency for the 2003 general elections.
He won the election in 2003 and made impressive marks in the house that quickly distinguished him as a brilliant legislator. He demonstrated passion in issues concerning his constituents and Nigeria as a whole and showed the kind of commitment to resolving such issues that apparently was lacking among most legislators.
Gbajabiamila stood out as truly a defender of the interests and aspirations of his constituents in his first term in the House of Representatives. The result was an overwhelmingly re-election on the platform of Action Congress in 2007 and since then he has continued to return to the house.
He was elected his party’s leader and minority whip of the house. It is on record that at the end of his second tenure in the house, Gbajabiamila had sponsored the highest number of bills in the National Assembly.
His bills and motions in the house are public interest driven such as employee rights bill, local content in construction industry bill, vocational schools bill, the economic stimulus bill, interest-free students loan and establishment of Nigeria Education Bank bill, among others. Through several motions, he fought for the interest of Lagos State for the recognition of the then newly created local government councils.
Gbajabiamila contested and retained his seat in the House of Representative for the third term in the 2011 general elections on the platform of ACN. Again, he was re-elected his party’s leader in the house and leader of the opposition. While on this position, he recharged the role of the opposition in the house and was a thorn on the flesh of the then ruling party.
Having been elected into the House of Representatives for the 5th time running in the 2019 elections, the build up to the speakership seat again became a major contest. It was however a contest in which the untidy ends that snatched the seat from him in the 8th assembly had been tightly fixed.
Despite the odds, he was elected speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly with an overwhelming majority of 283 votes against his challenger’s 78 votes.
He is described by many an as effective bridge builder across tribes, across religions, across political parties, and even generations. He has proved to be an innovative mediator and an honest broker in several local and national disputes and conflicts. As the speaker of the 9th House of Representative, he has been able to lead not just a conducive lower legislature house, fostering peace and harmony, but has also ensured a good relationship between the Red Chamber and the Green Chamber.
Hon Femi Gbajabiamila is a symbol of sterling leadership: an active promoter of the unity and the prosperity of all Nigerians. He has provided and is still providing purposeful and inspirational leadership for the legislature: His leadership has fostered harmony and unity in parliament and among the various arms of government. The people of Nigeria and in particular, the people of the Surulere constituency in Lagos State are very proud of his achievements and his contributions to the development of our nation.He has been described by many as one of the most resilient, resourceful and successful Nigerian politicians having won elections five times in the past 18 years.
He celebrates his 59th years birthday anniversary today, the 25th of June 2021, and we cannot but celebrate the amazing gift of this erudite and brilliant gift to Nigerian and mankind in general, it is the hope of many that may Nigerian get to see more men like him, who bears at mind the burden of the nation, ones who are ever committed and well equipped to advance the lots of the nation for the better.