Presidential Award: Nasarawa Speaker Bags Nigeria North Central Best Speaker Award

Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, has been conferred with Best Speaker Award out of Speakers of the State Assemblies of North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria.

A statement by the Press Secretary to the Speaker, Jibrin Gwamna and made available to newsmen in Lafia indicates that the award was presented to him by the Presidential School Debate of Nigeria in Abuja, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Ggbajabiamila.

The statement said it was in an event that took place at National University Commission, NUC, Abuja, that the award of the ‘Best Speaker’ of a state assembly for the North Central Nigeria was presented to the Speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi as the House of Representatives Speaker, Ggbajabiamila who was represented by Hon Ibrahim Babangida, a member of the House of Representatives, congratulated Speaker Balarabe while commending him for his wonderful and outstanding performance in legislative business.

Chairman of the PSDN, who is also a former member of House of Representatives, Hon Muhammad Usman from Kaduna state, said the speaker was chosen by a panel of PSDN committee after thorough assessment and evaluation, where it was discovered that the Nasarawa Speaker stood tall in North Central Nigeria.

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Other awardees included Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara, former House of Representatives Speaker as best of the former speakers, while Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa emerged best Speaker in South-West. Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker, Dr Nasiru Mu’azu clinched best Speaker in North-West, Rivers State Speaker, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani best Speaker in South-South, Gombe State Speaker, Abubakar Sadiq Ibrahim best Speaker in North-East and Ebonyi State Speaker, Frances Ogbonna Nwifuru Best Speaker in South-East respectively.

Two commissioners of education, that of Ekiti and Niger states, Dr Kofoworola Aderiye (mni) and Hajiya Hannatu Salihu, were also picked as best education commissioners from South-West and North-Central respectively.

Also at the occasion, National Co-ordinator of PSDN, Elder ‘Dare Oritu, pointed out that Nasarawa Speaker was adjudged the best in performance, as his leadership and the institution he is heading is doing greatly in both passage of effective laws and resolutions, oversight functions, discipline, general performance, conducts and securing integrity and respect for legislations.

“For a very long time now we have been monitoring and assessing activities of State Houses of Assembly, especially on those legislations that concern education across the country, to pick out the best among the speakers.

“About 75% to 80% of some of these facts are derived from media coverage and our reliable journalists.

Responding, the Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, who was represented by the Deputy Majority Leader of the House and Chairman House Committee on Education Hon. Daniel Ogah Ogazi, thanked the Presidential Schools Debate of Nigeria for the award which he said will spur his boss to do more.

Speaker Balarabe Abdullahi dedicated the award to all his colleagues at the Assembly, whom he said were brain behind the success.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nasarawa state House of Assembly under him to continue to pass laws and make resolutions that will have direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state.