The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, has expressed sadness over the demise of a former Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba.
Describing Na’Abba as a lawmaker par excellence, Speaker Abbas said the late ex-speaker was a dedicated, committed and patriotic Nigerian who served his fatherland with zeal.
The former Speaker reportedly died in the early hours of Wednesday at the age of 65. He represented the Kano Municipal Federal Constituency of Kano State. He became the Speaker following the resignation of Salisu Buhari shortly after the inception of the 4th Assembly in 1999.
Speaker Abbas said the late Ghali Na’Abba was one of the finest lawmakers to have served in the National Assembly.
He recalled, with nostalgia, how Na’Abba had an eventful tenure as the Speaker of the 4th House, noting that his legislative exploits shaped Nigeria’s democracy.
He said during Na’Abba’s tenure, the ex-speaker brought unity and stability to the House, leading to the members of the House to take some landmark decisions in furtherance of the country’s democratic journey.
“Rt. Hon. Ghali Na’Abba was a special breed as a lawmaker. He showed leadership as Speaker of the 4th House. He inspired members of the House under his leadership in many ways. Furthermore, he championed the first and only successful veto of a sitting president, leading to the establishment of the NDDC.
“Long after his exit from the parliament, he remained actively, politically, and continued to encourage and motivate us all. He will be sorely missed.
“Indeed, we have lost a great Nigerian; a legislative pillar. My heart goes out to the Na’Abba family. My prayers are with them at this moment of grief,” Speaker Abbas added.
While commiserating with the people and the government of Kano State, Speaker Abbas prayed to Allah to grant Hon. Na’Abba Jannatul Firdaus.
Born on September 27, 1958, the late Na’Abba attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he studied Political Science and graduated in 1979.