The House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honor announced by President Bola Tinubu during his Independence Anniversary speech for the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
The House urged President Tinubu to instead confer the “Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger” (GCON) on the office of the Speaker, arguing that the Speaker’s position ranks higher than that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is set to receive the GCON.
This decision came after the adoption of a motion sponsored by Deputy House Spokesperson, Philip Agbese, along with 248 others during the plenary in Abuja.
Agbese emphasized that the National Assembly, as outlined in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is a bicameral legislature consisting of two equal chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, both operating independently within the framework of legislative equality.
He expressed concerns that there is an ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, often portrayed as inferior to the Senate, through language that consistently refers to the Senate as the “upper chamber” and the House of Representatives as a “lower chamber.” This terminology, he said, misrepresents the legal status of both chambers and diminishes the House’s standing.
“Worried by the growing trend where the President of the Senate is referred to as the “Chairman of the National Assembly,” which inaccurately implies a hierarchical structure between the two chambers, contrary to the Constitution, and undermines the authority of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Neither the institution nor the Standing Orders of both chambers recognise the position of a Chairman of the National Assembly, his title has no legal basis and undermines
“This discriminatory practice was once again evidenced during the recent conferment of National Honours on the leadership of the National Assembly by Mr. President. While expressing our gratitude to Mr. President for recognising and honouring the leadership of the National Assembly, we note that the conferment of the title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the President of the Senate and the conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy President of the Senate perpetuates the inappropriate subordination of the Speaker to the President of the Senate.
“Notes that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is lower in protocol ranking than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was also awarded the title of GCON, further exemplifying this culture of discrimination against the leadership of the House;
“The Constitution, in promoting a balanced and equal bicameral legislature, clearly provides that bills passed by one chamber must be concurred with by the other in the same form for them to become law, thus affirming the equal status of both chambers as essential components of the legislative process.
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