Just the past weekend, precisely on Saturday, 10th March, 2018, the House of Representatives Press Corps, in an event it tagged “Maiden Annual Dinner/ Award Of Excellence”, jointly organized with the FCT Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ) presented notable past and serving members of the House of Representatives with awards in recognition of their performances in the public service.
JOSHUA EGBODO brings the report
When watchers came under watch
In the opinion of incumbent spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon.
Abdulrazak Namdas, those who are covering the activities of the House over the years, and showcasing same to the outside world, are in the best position to give performance grading to members of the lower legislative chamber of the National Assembly.
Also justifying the awards, which were classified into four categories namely; serving members of the 8th House of Representatives that are outstanding in their performance, members of the 7th Assembly, who have moved on, and are doing excellently in different capacities; the National Assembly Bureaucracy and other organisations in the public and private sector, which have conducted their activities as it concerns the National Assembly with utmost responsibility and integrity, also said the Press Corps was the best positioned group to offer such.
“Some have argued that it is self-serving for journalists to be giving out awards to individuals or institutions they report or cover their activities.
But I defer by making haste to say that as reporters we oversight the parliament and various organisations that do business with the Legislature.
So, there is nobody or group that is better equipped and positioned to tell the world what their representatives do in the parliament; and we are most competent to relate the interaction between the media and the larger society”, Umar had
The honoured
Recipients on the current serving members of the House include Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions, Hon.
Uzoma NkemAbonta(Legislator of the year), who in the opinion of the organizing committee, led by Mr.
Philip Nyam, was “adjudged as the legislator with the highest number of bills sponsored in the 7th assembly in the House of Representatives, and still in the lead in the present assembly..
Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje was on that night named Representative of the Year (Female), for her impact on the lives of her constituents, and for being “role model, an outstanding mentor with unquantifiable wealth of experience in management and leadership”, as well for overtime proven herself as a woman of character “who always stood for the cause she believed in”.
The Representative of the Year (Male) award went to Hon. OsaiNicholas Osai, who the nomination committee described as a man who sees the empowerment of his constituents as paramount.
He was said to have received several other awards “in recognition of his contributions to national development through landmark legislations”.
Also honoured was Chairman of the Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas, as the Ambassador of the House of Representatives.
“His exploits at the continental and international stages while representing the House of Representatives, especially as Deputy Chairman, West African Caucus of the ACPU, was next to known.
It is for this and many other reasons that we honour him today as the Best Foreign Ambassador of the House”, the committee stated in his citations.
Doyen and the brave
While the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff , was named as Doyen of Constituency Projects, current Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, was honoured as the Most Effective Leader of the House, and his counterpart, Hon.
Leo Ogor received the Most Vibrant Opposition Leader’s award.
Other serving members honoured were, Hon. Aliyu Madaki (Most Courageous Representative), Hon. Haruna Manu (Pride of the House), Hon. Binta Bello (Most Influential Female Representative), Hon. Razak Atunwa (Most Articulate Representative), Hon. Zakari Mohammed (Most Innovative Representative), Hon. Emmanuel Orker-Jev (Gate Keeper of the House), Hon.
Golu Timothy (Most Inspirational Representative.
Also on the list were Hon. Tahir Monguno (Most Punctal Representative), Umar Bago (Most Hardworking Committee Chairman), Jonathan Gbefwi (Most Media Friendly Representative), Aliyu Betara (Most Infl uential Male Representative), Kingsley Chinda (Most Meticulous Representative), Vilita Bashir (Most Compassionate), and Hon. Chike Okafor (Most Dedicated Committee Chairman, among other recipients.
Honoured for past deeds
And on the list of former members who were recognized for their outstanding exploits, even after leaving the House were Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, his Enugu State counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Deputy Governors of Edo and Taraba States, Philip Shuaibu and Haruna Manu.
Not left out was former member not Senators John Enoh, and Solomon Olamilekan, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Ali Ahmad, Senior Special Adviser to the President (House of Reps), Kawu Sumaila, Special Adviser on Foriegn Affairs and Diaspora Matters, Abike Dabiri, and MD of the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Emmanuel Jime, who were described as Prides of the House.
Honoured within the legislative bureaucracy were Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Ataba Sani-Omolori (Moat Innovative Clerk), Clerk of the House, Abdulkadir Adamu (Most Media Friendly Clerk), and Benedict Abang (Most Diligent Sergeant-AtArms).
Beyond the House
Outside the National Assembly, the Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Bar. Muhammed Muhtar Abdullahi and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, were awarded the Most Responsive CEO, Corporate Organistaions in the public sector, while Mr. Benedict Peters of the AITEO Group of Companies was awarded the Most Responsive Private Sector CEO.
In the words of chairman of the occasion, who is also a former member and spokesman of the House, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, honours of such nature are to be seen as stimulants to do more for both recipients and the yet to be honoured.
It is therefore of utmost hope that his charge is deeply thought over by members of the House.
