Protocol,
I am delighted to warmly welcome you, my dear colleagues to Yola. Our organization is a gathering of the leadership of one of the largest and most important political families in Nigeria. It is unique in its own way when we reflect on its role in shaping and deepening democracy and good governance in the country. Considering its size, geography, non-partisanship and plural ideological background, a chance to host its meeting is indeed a privilege for Adamawa State. This is like an opportunity to host Nigeria.
Your Excellencies, Rt. Honourable Speakers, Ours is not only a forum of the leadership of the largest law-making organ of the government across all the states of the federation but it is equally a leadership that has over the years, at the sub-national level, tremendously protected our democracy from imminent slide at critical periods. The most interesting thing about this forum is the fact that it is both large and big. It is large because it has the numbers; it is big because it has the influence to cause any change in the polity and the capacity to exert necessary impact on the politics of this country. It has and shall continue to play very active roles in the business of building Nigeria.
Your Excellencies, Rt. Hon. Speakers, at this point we all need no tutorial on the sanctity of the legislature as the bastion of democracy. The parliament at whatever level of governance, is what symbolizes democracy. The extent of its performance is proportionate to the extent of the participatory space inherently allowable in a democracy. Thus, as leaders in our respective chambers, at one time or another we have demonstrated legislative excellence. We have equally played important roles in ensuring the survival of democracy as a system, the welding of our people as citizens and the growth of our country as a nation. What we did and what we are still doing on the floor of our respective chambers were and are very crucial to the sustenance of democracy and good governance for our nation and our citizens. The representation we gave and are giving, the bills we initiated and passed, the laws we made and are making, the debates, the oversights, the organic relationship we make and foster with the other organs of government – the Executive and the Judiciary, etc. are all life-saving armors for our democracy. More fundamental is the bond we built and are still building. This is the most cumulative political bond that places no barrier on time or age; draws no partisan line; and tolerates no primordial sentiments. This is a bond that is truly Pan-Nigerian.
Over the years, we have unconsciously grown into a formidable force that I believe most of us hardly recognize. We are becoming the biggest alumni from which the best leaders have emerged and are emerging. From this forum we have members who have transited to Governors and former Governors; others as parliamentarians in both the House of Representatives and at the Senate; some serving and others again former; from our midst we have equally churned out cabinet members – both serving and former Ministers.
Times have indeed, not changed the heart of what it means to be a Speaker. To be an effective Speaker is to enforce the standing orders fairly, to manage the administration of the House in the interests of all and to represent the House and the will of its members in the world outside. On the floor of the House, you are one among equals. What this means is that your position though highly revered is surrounded by a lot of political landmines. You must imbibe what is generally referred to in parliamentary parlance as the golden rule – the rule that makes you to strive to give members on all sides of the House (opposition or majority) a fair deal on legislative matters.
To most of us here, these reminders on our roles must have triggered reflections on how we survived politically-heated periods in the house and mitigated all the landmines in the course of our legislative duties. For me the most important take-away from the role of the speaker is a cutting-edge capacity for leadership incubation. No one passes through this hatchery and comes out with an empty brain. I must quickly add that we must appreciate this privilege and continue to avail our leadership skills and experience to Nigeria. If there is any time Nigeria needs our leadership acumen, experiences and unity of purpose, to mitigate its towering challenges of survival, the hour is now.
Your Excellencies, Rt. Honourable Speakers, with the advent of the 4th Republic in 1999, democracy in Nigeria is 25 years old. Almost a quarter of a century. We have individually and collectively contributed our quotas to its entrenchment and sustenance. We have more to do if we are to transfer its consolidation to our successors. The biggest threats to its consolidation are not the traditional democratic indicators of freedoms and the conduct of free and fair elections, but the existence of peaceful coexistence. We must all play a role in this respect. We must work boots-on to combat the menace of insecurity and engender a peaceful polity. We must douse tension in the land and deal away with all triggers of conflict. We must appreciate each other and convert our plurality into strength. We must champion the stability of the polity and the delivery of good governance at both the national and sub-national levels. Above all, we must build friendship and fraternize with other just like we are doing today.
On this note, while I once again welcome you to Yola, I want to add that personally, the privilege to host you all today is truly a nostalgic one. It is a platform for family reunion that takes me down memory lane and brings back those moments I cherish most in my political life. The summary of it all is that I was, I am and would forever remain part of you and you are all part of me. This is my eternal pledge. It is my fervent prayer that this fraternity is sustained and the tie made thicker even as we rededicate our commitment to deploying everything at our disposal to the service of our country.
I wish everyone of us a happy reunion and fruitful deliberations.
Thank you.