Eighth House Of Reps ‘Most Productive In Nigeria’s History’ – Dogara.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said the legislature under his leadership ensured speedy passage of executive bills and other requests to help facilitate the policies and plans of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

This was disclosed on Wednesday in a statement by Mr Dogara’s spokesperson, Turaki Hassan.

Mr Hassan said his principal spoke when he received the Euro Knowledge Leadership Award for his contribution to the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria last month.

But the speaker’s remarks were just passed to the press on Wednesday in response, perhaps, to Mr Buhari’s statement that his administration did not enjoy a smooth relationship with the Eighth Assembly under the leadership of Mr Dogara and Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The president made the comment on Tuesday last week when he hosted Messrs Saraki and Dogara and other leaders of the National Assembly.

“For the Ease of Doing Business, anyone who thinks we have not supported Government enough in the bid to create a conducive business environment to attract better investment into Nigeria should check what we have done in the area of the ease of doing business in Nigeria,” Mr Dogara said as quoted by his spokesperson’s statement.

“There were times when we ensured that within days or weeks, we passed these Bills that were required to jumpstart this process to bring Nigeria out of recession and prosper. This made Nigeria jump about 24 places in the Global Index of the World ranking of nations in the Ease of Doing Business. Words like these only spur one to do his best, we will continue to do our best in the interest of our country and of its people in whatever position we are.

“I want to specifically say that I am deeply indebted to the entire Membership of the 8th Assembly, they made all this happen, so I dedicate these Awards to the ever wonderful Members of the 8th Assembly.”

He claimed that the eighth House of Representatives “is the most performing in Nigeria’s political history from independence in 1960 to date.”

“We have done exceptionally well. It is on record that this has been the most productive National Assembly ever, as well as unparalleled House in the history of the House of Representatives.

“We hope that those who are coming after us, those who will take over from us will do better and be able to rededicate themselves and to achieve the ideals they set out for themselves. When we started out on the 8th Assembly, it was our desire and thank God we can say today that we have cleaned up virtually all Laws we inherited from even 1800. For some of us who read Law, we may have knowledge on the Statutes of General Application.

“Before we embarked on this massive exercise, some of our Law books were still containing Pounds Sterling, in some Laws, some addresses in the United Kingdom were even mentioned. To the credit of the 8th Assembly, all those things are no longer reflected in the body of our Laws,” he said.