The House of Representatives has resolved to urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider upgrading the honour conferred on the Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to align with the National Order of Precedence.
Dateline Nigeria reports that Tinubu had, in his Independence Day speech, announced the conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) title on the Speaker after the Deputy President of the Senate Barau Jibrin.
The Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the new Chief Justice of Nigeria Kudirat Kekere-Ekun were given the the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) title.
But the Deputy House Spokesperson Rep Philip Agbese, in a motion on Wednesday, argued that it is against the order of national precedence to confer the CFR title on the speaker as the Number Four citizen and the GCON title on the CJN who is Number Five.
Agbese said “the Speaker, as the nation’s number four citizen, follows the Vice President and President of the Senate in precedence, with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) ranked fifth.
“As such, members urged for the Speaker to be considered for the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) to reflect his office’s status and position in the National Order of Precedence.”
The motion, which was cosigned by 200 other members, “raised concerns about the longstanding misrepresentation of the House as the ‘lower chamber’ and called for recognition of its equal legal status with the Senate in Nigeria’s bicameral legislature.
“Members emphasised that both chambers must concur on all Acts of Parliament, affirming that neither chamber is superior or inferior to the other.”
Meanwhile, Rep Agbese has clarified that it is incorrect to attribute his motion as the position of the House of Representatives with recent reports suggesting that the green chamber had rejected the national nonour conferred on the speaker.
He said “The misunderstanding regarding the purported rejection of the honour arose from an amendment proposed by Rep. Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, which was ultimately deemed inappropriate and withdrawn.
“We must use this opportunity to educate some segments of the media that contributions from Honourable Members during a debate do not constitute House Resolutions. The media must diligently report what the House, in its collective wisdom, adopts as a resolution on any particular issue,” Agbese said.
He said “It is important to reaffirm that the House did not reject the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honour conferred on Speaker Abbas by His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“The House celebrates this prestigious award conferred by Mr. President in exercise of his powers under the National Honours Act.
“It serves as a tribute to the Speaker’s distinguished service to the nation and underscores the vital role of the House of Representatives in Nigeria’s development.
“We wish to clarify therefore, that this is not a matter for personal advancement of the Speaker, but a multi partisan request for recognition of the institution of the House of Representatives by all stakeholders within the framework of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“The media is urged to accurately report that, in view of the foregoing, the House resolved to respectfully urge the President to consider upgrading the honour to align with the National Order of Precedence.
“The House subsequently referred the motion to an Ad Hoc Committee, which will include representatives from the Zonal and Regional Caucuses and will be chaired by the House Leader for further legislative action.”
