ABUJA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday emphasized its equal standing with the Senate, reminding the Federal Government that it is not subordinate to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The House also directed its relevant committees to engage with the Presidency in initiating the process to amend the National Honours Act of 1964.
In a motion of urgent public importance during Wednesday’s plenary session, members of the House of Representatives have called for the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The motion was moved by the House’s deputy spokesperson, Hon. Philip Agbese, who expressed concerns over the perceived marginalization of the House of Representatives in comparison to the Senate. Agbese described as “unacceptable” the treatment of the House as inferior, citing the recent conferment of the GCON honour on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, as a point of contention.
Agbese argued that such honours should be equally conferred upon the heads of both legislative chambers, given their equal constitutional significance.
He noted that, according to the order of protocol, the Speaker of the House of Representatives holds the 4th position, expressing surprise that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), ranked 5th, was given higher recognition.
Several lawmakers took the floor to contribute, clarifying that their remarks were not in defense of Abbas as an individual, but in defense of the Office of the Speaker.
The House during plenary, adopted a motion titled, “Multi-partisan Motion on the Inappropriate Discrimination Against the House of Representatives and Its Presentation as Inferior to the Senate.”
Leading the debate, Agbese, who represents Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency of Benue State, expressed concern over the persistent portrayal of the House of Representatives as inferior to the Senate. He stated, “There is an ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, often referred to as the ‘lower chamber,’ while the Senate is consistently termed the ‘upper chamber.’ This language perpetuates an unfair hierarchy between the two legislative bodies.”
According to him, the terminology “misrepresents the legal status of both chambers and diminishes the standing of the House of Representatives.”
He further explained, “The House is concerned about the increasing trend of referring to the President of the Senate as the ‘Chairman of the National Assembly.’ This phrasing inaccurately suggests a hierarchical relationship between the two chambers, which is contrary to the Constitution, and undermines the authority of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
Agbese has expressed concerns over what he perceives as a culture of discrimination against the leadership of the House of Representatives, noting that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who ranks lower in protocol than the Speaker of the House, has been conferred the title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
Advertisement
He pointed out that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) clearly stipulates that bills passed by one legislative chamber must be concurred by the other in the same form before becoming law, underscoring the equal status of both chambers in the legislative process.
Agbese further explained that the National Honours Act of 1964 does not explicitly mandate the conferment of specific honours, such as the GCON for the President of the Senate or the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the Speaker of the House. “These distinctions,” he said, “are rooted more in customary practices than in statutory requirements.”
He further added “The honour of GCON is not restricted to any particular office or individual but can be awarded to any distinguished Nigerian deemed deserving by the President, as evidenced by the recent conferment of GCON on Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala by former President Muhammadu Buhari, this House acknowledges the flexibility inherent in the national honours system and the prerogative of the President in the allocation of such distinctions.”
Confer GCON on Abbas, Reps insisted.
In his contribution, a member of the All Progressives Congress representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Lagos State Babajimi Benson said the practice of treating the Office of the Speaker with disdain is one that had lingered for a long.
“The disparity in honors between the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives is an institutional error that has persisted for too long,” a lawmaker remarked.
He said, “The Speaker holds the 4th highest position in the country, yet while the CJN is awarded the GCON, the Speaker receives the CFR. This discrepancy should be addressed by the executive branch.”
In support of this, Hon. Etinosa Akarachi, representing Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency, Imo State, emphasized the need for the House of Representatives to be treated equally with the Senate, citing the House’s larger membership. Hon. Oboku Oforji, representing Yenagoa/Opokuma Federal Constituency, Bayelsa State, echoed this sentiment, underscoring the call for equity between both chambers of the National Assembly.
According to him, “The principle of a bicameral legislature emphasizes the equality of both chambers. While it is commendable that the Senate President has been awarded the GCON, we equally expect the same recognition for the Speaker of the House. It would be disheartening for us to see the Speaker receive the CFR, while the Chief Justice of Nigeria is honoured with the GCON. We urge the executive branch to reconsider and extend this distinguished honour to the Speaker as well.”
In his ruling, Speaker Abbas announced the inauguration of an ad-hoc committee chaired by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere.
The committee has been tasked with collaborating with the relevant House Committees to engage the Presidency in proposing amendments to the National Honours Act of 1964. The aim is to formally recognize the Speaker of the House of Representatives as a co-head of the National Assembly.
Furthermore, the committee is urged to advocate for the conferral of the national honour of GCON on the Speaker, thereby ensuring parity in recognition with the President of the Senate.
The initiative is expected to be completed before the official decoration ceremony conducted by the President.
