Yusuf Gagdi, the member representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives and speakership aspirant for the 10th Assembly has promised to correct some anomalies in the country’s budget.
Gagdi said he intends to stop reinitiation of projects not completed in a budget cycle in another appropriation document due to political intention, thereby wasting taxpayers’ money.
The chairman, House committee on Navy said this while briefing journalists after interaction with Alex Otti, the Abia state governor-elect and House of Representatives members-elect on the platform of Labour Party (LP) as well other stakeholders in Enugu state.
The lawmaker promised to be a speaker for all Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnic and political differences; promote good legislation, justice and progress of the country.
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Gagdi said for fairness and equity, the position of the speaker in the 10th Assembly be zoned to the north-central even as he promised to adhere to the decision of his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The former deputy speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly who announced that he will be flagging off his campaign between
April 25 and 30, said he has visited 24 governors across the country about his ambition.
“Yesterday I commenced my public engagements in which I visited Lagos to meet with Governor-elect Abia state and members of the Labour Party. Abia has seven members from the Labour Party in the House of Representatives. From there I flew to Enugu to engage and have interaction with the state party chairman of the Labour Party as well as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu state.
“Those are important for me because someone will wonder why this aspirant for speakership is going to visit a governorship candidate that was just declared a governor. Engaging a governor who has a majority in the House of Representatives is important.
“Yesterday was the first public engagement I had but silently I have visited 24 governors across the country. I am looking at the 25th of this month to 30th to flagoff my campaign.
“I intend to stop the proliferation of projects. Project will commence with taxpayers money and it won’t be completed, another similar project will be initiated due to political intention. That is what is wasting taxpayers money.
“I have intentions to correct these, in the area of justice I feel I’m from the north-central and the region deserves to be speaker if you are zoning it to northern Nigeria. It’s only north central that has not produced speakers in the past years.
“I want to be a speaker for the Nigerian people. I don’t want to be a regional speaker. God willing I will be a speaker for the Nigerian people irrespective of tribe, religion. I will be saying that my primary responsibility is to add value to the people of this county.
“The qualities that I will expect from the next speaker are capacity, sincerity, honesty and commitment. I want to see a just speaker. A speaker that will protect the interest of the people of all the geopolitical formations in Nigeria irrespective of population and what have you,” he stated.
Gagdi said as he was imminently qualified to be speaker going by his legislative prowess, having sponsored 12 bills in the last three years with six them given presidential assent, insisting that youths should also be given a chance to head the House.
“On motivation, a lot of things motivated me, this is my second time in the House of Representatives, even the first time I was able to sponsor 12 bills among them Mr President assented to six. Check and see if you can find any member that has funded 12 bills out of which 6 have been assented to.
“I think I have broken a record in the National Assembly. I’m proud to say that if we have a Guinness book of records in the National Assembly I will enter that book. I have moved 18 sensitive motions on the floor of the House.
“I chair the Navy committee and I have visited all commands and formations of the navy to discharge my oversight functions. So legislative trinity I have done it to the best of my ability so it’s one of my motivations.
“Because we have a President that is above 60, a Vice President that is above 60, a Senate President possibly that will be above 60, so you want a Speaker again that will be above 60. When the right time comes I will advance all of those debates.
“So are you telling us that the youths from 25 -45 that have contributed immensely to the democratisation process are not qualified to take charge of one of the institutions of government? Definitely it will be part of the reason that I will advance in my campaign,” the speakership contender said.
