… …as Gov. Sani, ministers rate Abbas the best Speaker in Nigeria’s history
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, has said that the tremendous support he gets from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as well as the partnership between himself and the Governor of Kaduna state, Sen. Uba Sani are the bedrock of his achievements in office.
Speaker Abbas stated this in Zaria on Saturday during the celebration of the two years anniversary of his Speakership, where he presented his scorecard to his constituents.
He noted that his ability to attract important projects and other democratic dividends to them was not a singular effort but a collective one.
Speaker Abbas described Governor Sani as a dependable partner, whose major interest is to bring progress to his people.
“None of these milestones would have been achieved without the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the steadfast support of Governor Uba Sani,” he said.
In a remarkable move, the people of Zaria Federal Constituency presented an award of excellence to President Tinubu through some of his ministers present. It was jointly presented by Speaker Abbas and Governor Sani. The award was in recognition of Tinubu’s support to the Speaker.
Speaker Abbas listed his achievements since his election into the National Assembly in 2011 as the foundation upon which he consolidated as Speaker, expressing his gratitude to the people of Zaria for their faith in him.
“Fourteen years ago, I responded to your call to represent Zaria in the National Assembly, leaving behind my roles as a teacher, bursary officer, and academic pioneer. When I entered politics, I sought not power, but the opportunity to uplift our people.
“During my time as your member of the House of Representatives, I sponsored more bills than any other legislator in Nigeria’s history. In the 9th Assembly, I sponsored 74 bills, 21 of which received the president’s assent. This is the highest number recorded for any legislator since Nigeria’s independence.
“Two years ago, I was humbled by my peers who elected me to serve as Speaker. Over the past two years, I have done everything within my power to justify the trust that all of you have placed in me. Here in Zaria, we have
established new institutions for agriculture, veterinary science, technical education, and disability inclusion.
“We have expanded secondary education, launched a N5 billion scholarship schemes for over ten thousand students, and commenced construction of an eighty-billion-naira
Education Village hosting university, nursing, teaching, and legal studies campuses.
“We have improved teacher welfare in rural areas, renovated schools, empowered women and youth through vocational centres, upgraded tertiary infrastructure, delivered vital community projects such as boreholes, solar lighting, and maternity care, and honoured our traditional institutions with vehicles to support their unifying role.”
He said the next two years will afford him the opportunity to build upon the achievements,” the Speaker said.
He assured his constituents of more achievements in the next two years, urging them to continue supporting him, the state government, and President Tinubu’s administration.
“As we look to the next two years, I make this solemn promise to you: that I will build upon these foundations, guided by your support and the grace of Almighty Allah, to deepen prosperity, unity, and dignity across Zaria and our country at large.”
In a remark, Governor Sani, who was the special guest of honour at the event, described the speaker as a “humble and cerebral” personality, who has had two years of remarkable representation in the House, saying: “Kaduna State is indebted to you.”
He reechoed the Speaker’s assertions, saying that his partnership with Speaker Abbas has brought several benefits to Kaduna and Zaria, adding that the Speaker “has been the best performing speaker in the history of the Nigerian legislature.”
“This very House has passed more bills than any other House since the return of democracy in 1999.
“Kaduna State is indebted to you and will always support you. He always tries his best to put smiles on the faces of people. Just as he is bringing projects to Zaria, he is also bringing projects to all the 23 Local governments in Kaduna State. He sat with us and identified these projects and strategies on how to situate them.
“Mr Speaker, we in Kaduna State will continue to support you, and rest assured that history and posterity will be kind to you,” Governor Sani said.
Speaking earlier in a good will message, the Minister for Women Affairs, Hajia Iman Sulaiman noted that in just two years, the Speaker has “redefined what it means to lead with purpose.”
“You have proven that commitment and compassion are the hallmark of leadership. Your support resolve to stand behind women bills that speak to the concerns of Nigerian is well acknowledged. You have confirmed what we all know, that a nation cannot move forward with half of its people on the sidelines,” she said.
The Chairman, Zaria Local Government, Engr. Jamil Ahmad Muhammad, outlined the Speaker’s achievements to include the distribution of over 58,000 bags of fertilizer in the past two years, as well as 815 motorcycles as given out on Saturday in addition to the 116 already distributed.
He said 23 road projects have already been completed and another 18 to be commenced in the 2025 budget, adding that the Speaker also built and upgraded many police stations across Zaria Local Government.
The Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, in his goodwill message, thanked the Speaker for what he has been doing to the people of Zaria and Kaduna State.
He also expressed delight in the collaborative efforts between the Speaker and the Kaduna State Governor, urging for continuation of such as it has benefited the state as a whole and Zaria in particular.
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