Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker House of Representatives, is a champion of the downtrodden, writes Idowu Balogun
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila has added a new feather to his cap. On Tuesday, 11 October, 2022, Gbajabiamila was conferred with the prestigious national award of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), the third in the ranking of the coveted national honours.
Some 450 Nigerians, among them politicians, public officers, security officers, businessmen, traditional rulers, members of the academia, retired public officers, religious leaders and musical artistes, received the prestigious honours for 2022.
Only few recipients could match Gbajabiamila’s sterling achievements and feats in public service. He has proven that the essence of political power is for the service of the people. Even as a legislator, he never fails to respond to national issues that are the responsibility of the executive arm of government.
Little wonder he led the category of CFR honourees. He was the first to be called to mount the rostrum to be honoured by President Muhammadu Buhari. Gbajabiamila has done a lot for Nigeria.
The protracted industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is hopefully coming to an end after the intervention of the Speaker.
What appeared impossible became possible because of the trust equity of Gbajabiamila. They know that he is a man of honour who keeps agreement. He had intervened in similar crises in the past and they saw his tenacity and sincerity in dealing with issues that affect the wellbeing of generality of Nigerians.
When doctors downed tools over poor conditions of service, it was Gbajabiamila that rose to the occasion and ensured that normalcy returned to the nation’s public health sector. When Nigerians were groaning during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it was Gbajabiamila that championed the cause of the downtrodden and called for tailor-made solution to the plight of the poor and struggling Nigerians.
Among other proposals, he urged electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) and pay television service companies like DSTV and the rest to give two-months’ free services to Nigerians.
On the ASUU debacle, Gbajabiamila assured the nation recently that in a matter of days the ASUU would call off the eight-month-old strike that had crippled the nation’s tertiary education system.
The speaker, and other lawmakers had met with the ASUU leadership led by its President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke on the protracted strike that had defiled solution. Gbajabiamila, as his custom, got a way out. He declared that the deal had been sealed.
The speaker’s team had in the last four weeks held four different meetings with the academic body to resolve the crisis. Last week, he led a delegation of lawmakers to the Presidential Villa where he met with President Buhari to submit the report of the meeting with ASUU.
Gbajabiamila said President Buhari would soon make a declaration on the “No Work No Pay” issue. According to him, both the government and ASUU had agreed to shift grounds from their respective positions in the overall interests of the students and the country at large.
Gbajabiamila, a core nationalist, is a great asset to Nigeria. He was well prepared for the task of nation- building.
Rt. Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila, born on 25th June, 1962 to the popular aristocratic Gbajabiamila family of Lagos, young Gbajabiamila attended Mainland Preparatory School, and the popular Igbobi College for Secondary education. He proceeded to London for his A-Level and enrolled at King William’s College on the Isle of Man, United Kingdom. He later returned to Nigeria to study law at the University of Lagos where he graduated with honors in 1983, and was called to the Nigerian bar in 1984.
Gbajabiamila, suave and highly cerebral, cut his teeth in law practice at Bentley Edu and Co, a foremost and reputable law firm that attracted sound young lawyers in the 80s. After learning from the masters, Gbajabiamila ventured out to give wings to his dreams by establishing his own law firm, Femi Gbaja & Co. In the United States of America, he earned his Juris Doctor from Atlanta John Marshall Law School in the State of Georgia. Gbajabiamila cleared his papers at the Georgian bar exam in 2001. He subsequently set up his law firm in Atlanta.
The speaker’s latent interest in politics began to find expression when he joined others in actively campaigning and mobilising support for Bill Campbell’s candidacy who later emerged the 57th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, the fourth person of African-American descent to emerge as mayor.
In preparation for the 2003 general elections, Gbajabiamila returned to Nigeria to participate in the electoral process. He joined the defunct Alliance of Democracy, a progressive party to contest for the Surulere 1 Federal Constituency election. He won the election to serve in the House of Representatives.
Surulere Federal Constituency and Lagos State at large will forever be grateful for the development Gbajabiamila brought to Lagos. His imprint of excellence dots the higher institutions of learning in Lagos. From University of Lagos to Lagos State University, LASU, Gbajabiamila attracted enduring projects that will enhance learning outcomes in students.
Balogun writes from Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State
