The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has praised the unparalleled record of his predecessor, Femi Gbajabiamila, in both legislation and infrastructure development. Speaking during the inauguration of a 484-bed hall of residence at the University of Lagos, named the Femi Gbajabiamila Hall, Abbas hailed Gbajabiamila’s two decades of dedicated service in the National Assembly.
Abbas emphasized that Gbajabiamila, who served as Minority Whip, Minority Leader, Majority Leader, and Speaker until the previous year, had left an indelible mark on the legislative landscape. He acknowledged Gbajabiamila as an asset not only to the people of Surulere but to the entire nation, stating, “I don’t see in this generation any lawmaker that can do as much as Femi Gbajabiamila did for the Nigerian people.”
The Speaker expressed his sincere belief that Gbajabiamila’s achievements, spanning his extensive leadership roles, were unmatched by any contemporary politician. He acknowledged the difficulty in filling the shoes left by Gbajabiamila and urged future leaders to emulate the positive examples set by the former Speaker.
Abbas inaugurated four additional projects sponsored by Gbajabiamila, including the National Open University of Nigeria Surulere Campus, the rehabilitated Randle Street, the refurbished Bode Thomas Police Station, and the Femi Gbajabiamila Mini Stadium, Orile. Publicly endorsing the candidacy of Fuad Laguda for the upcoming by-election, Abbas expressed confidence that the numerous projects initiated by Gbajabiamila would resonate with the people of Surulere Constituency 1.
Gbajabiamila explained his motivation for sponsoring the construction of the 484-bed hall at the University of Lagos, citing the accommodation deficit at the institution. The former Speaker, also an alumnus of the university, highlighted the impact of inadequate accommodation on student performance and stressed the importance of addressing this challenge.
Speaking on the mini stadium at Orile, Gbajabiamila emphasized the need to keep the youth engaged, emphasizing that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. He expressed hope that the inaugurated projects, including the Surulere Campus of the Open University, would inspire youths to greatness.
Gbajabiamila, reflecting on his influence on over 250 completed projects in Lagos and beyond, expressed optimism that the newly inaugurated projects would be adequately maintained. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Ogunshola, acknowledged the new hostel’s positive impact in alleviating the school’s accommodation challenges, revealing that Gbajabiamila had been approached during his tenure as Speaker to assist in expanding student accommodation.