 We need the collaboration of seasoned Nigerians to succeed, Gbajabiamila says
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the House needs the support of seasoned Nigerians to succeed in coming up with legislation for‎ the good governance of the country. Speaking during a courtesy call by the University of Lagos Alumni Association led by its President Worldwide, Dr. John Momoh, the Speaker said governance, especially in Nigeria, is not "a tea ‎party" and that everybody must be on board for leaders to make Nigeria work.
Gbajabiamila, who is an alumnus of the University of Lagos, said he was proud to be a product of the prestigious institution and that the entire university community must support and encourage Nigerian leaders. "Let me thank you for this visit because I cherish it. I cherish it because there's no honour than to be recognized by your alumnus association. I hope for continuous engagements and collaboration with the association. ‎"This is a team of distinguished ladies and gentlemen that have done extremely well. I'm very proud of them. I'm a proud product of the University of Lagos where I cut my teeth in many ways. I'm sure they did as well. Many of them don't need any introduction."UNILAG is more or less my primary constituency. I'm here as an ambassador of the university. It has become incumbent on me to make sure that the office of the speaker carries the weight of the University of Lagos. "Governance, especially in Nigeria, is a very difficult thing; it's not a tea party. It's not something one man can do alone, or those of us in the House, 360 men, and women can do alone. Nobody has a fountain of knowledge. "It means that we need seasoned men and women like you to join hands with us to make Nigeria work. I cannot claim to have all the answers.
Nobody has all the answers. It's only when we have a symbiotic good relationship to ventilate and exchange ideas that we can make things work for the greater good of Nigeria," the Speaker said. He said he believed the visit would be "the beginning of a relationship between the Legislature and academicians in the University of Lagos or the university community. "That collaboration is what we'll be looking at moving forward to make this country work. I'm sure we have different representatives: we have lawyers, engineers, who in their various fields can contribute to lawmaking.‎"
The Speaker specially thanked Dr. Momoh, who is the chairman of the Channels Television, for allowing Mr. Lanre Lasisi, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, to work with him as part of a national assignment. ‎Speaking earlier, the President of the University of Lagos Alumni Worldwide, Dr. Momoh, while thanking Gbajabiamila for considering Lasisi as an aide, said the visit was to celebrate the Speaker as a member of the association on his emergence. ‎
He said the University of Lagos would be 50 years in October this year and that a line of activities has been drawn for the anniversary, saying the Speaker would be their special guest. "We're here to support everything that you do in my position and of course as the chairman of Channels. We will support you in terms of reportage and coverage of your activities. It's an honour to meet you and bring these distinguished members before you.
"The University of Lagos is number one in Nigeria based on the information we got a short while ago. We are glad that an individual like you has gone through the university. "We have so many projects that dotted the university. We're trying to see that the university is among the top in terms of international standards. We will be knocking at your door from time to time in terms of advocacy, because I know that's your purview," Dr. Momoh said.‎ Lanre Lasisi Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Nigeria.