Where Party Supremacy Ends, Personal Character Starts

-Gbajamiala Cannot Change 

Morning  they say shows the day. And so even before the 9th Assembly House of Representatives started, we are seeing the confirmation of that truism ’’that a dry fish cannot be bent’’.

We at the legislative aides’ forum, I.e  aides/association of  members of the National Assembly have advised the incoming members of the House of Representatives to be wary of the ’’party supremacy endorsed candidate’’ in person of Hon. Femi Gbaja or Gbajamiamila.

Having worked in the National assembly with members, for a while, we have advised members to ask who are the friends of Hon Gbajabiamila over the past 16 years? 

How many members had events, social or political, empowerments that he attended?

How many members did Hon. Gbajabiamila support with projects for their constituencies? All of a sudden now sponsoring new members to Mecca! It will be nice to see a list of those he had sent on pilgrimage over the past 16 years of been a member and in  leadership position!

These are the things that make a Speaker Impactful and Successful. 

It came to our notice that Hon. Shina Abiola Peller, a new member Representing Iseyin, Kajola and Itesiwaju Federal Constituency of Oyo State on Thursday 16, 2019 had the official opening of his constituency office and a Ramadan lecture.

He invited all newly elected members, and specially and specifically invited Hon Gbajabiamila, being a member of his group.

A dozen of members in spite of the Muslim Ramadan and other inconveniences set the tone by making it to Iseyin in solidarity with the first term member, and first  to have a constituency event.

Expectedly at a time like this, members use this opportunity to boost the image of their colleague member, socialise and boost the image by attending,  overtime this has proved a veritable medium for bonding among members.

This is the first member from the South West also to have an event. 

Yet Hon. Gbajabiamila, did not attend  neither did He send any Representative, Not even the  Director General of the Femi Gbajabiamila for Speaker group, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibril, not the Deputy Speaker of the Group, Hon. Idris Wase.

 Not anybody in the ranking position in the Gbaja group, like Hon. James Faleke, the House committee Chairman on Appropriation Designate, Not Hon. Ado Doguwa, the Majority leader designate, Not Hon. Jimi Benson  the Chairman House Committee designate.

We the legislative aides at the event were shocked to see only two Speakership hopeful from the North Central geopolitical zone aspirants, Hon. John Dyeh and Hon. Umaru Mohammed Bago (Niger State) who both found it expedient to attend. 

While the Speakership hopeful from the South west geopolitical zone and his acolytes did not find it important enough to attend.

It is a notorious fact that Honourable Gbaja does not have that reputation of identifying with the members, but what we thought was that he would have changed. ’’But it is clear that  old dogs cannot learn new things’’.

So this is a foretaste of the Gbajabiamila’s Speakership! 

We pity members at the 9th Assembly. 

We recall with nostalgia the Aminu Waziri Tambuwal speakership years where no member’s empowerment progress is ever complete without Speaker Tambuwal in attendance, regardless of the location in the country, yet here is a ’’party endorsed candidate’’ from South west geopolitical zone who will not attend a member of his group’s event, the first in his geopolitical zone.

So how can he visit North East Members, North West members event?

There is the significance of such trips, it enables bonding, allow the Speaker to know members and their constituencies first hand and to be able to identify with the local issues of interest and proportion to such  a member. 

Well, morning they say show the day, and and African proverb says, "those you love, you make time for" and ,"their homes will never be too far". 

This a foretaste of the proposed Speakership of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. 

Those who have ears let them hear...