House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has said the current border closure by the Federal Government is yielding good results.
He was particularly elated that Nigerian farmers have been “smiling to the bank” since the land borders were shut.
Gbajabiamila said the government action had forced Nigerians to consume locally produced items, especially Nigerian rice.
The Speaker yesterday spoke in Surulere, Lagos State, at his annual end-of-the-year grassroots empowerment programme.
He said: “I must say the impact of closing Nigeria’s borders to foreign rice is yielding results. I am sure so many farmers are now smiling to the bank. The volume of Christmas rice sales made by Nigerian farmers speaks to the emerging culture of eating what we grow.”
The Speaker provided cash grants to 500 beneficiaries in his Surulere I Federal Constituency to boost their businesses, as part of the annual programme.
Twenty-three people received cars and computer business owners got generators and photocopying machines while students got laptops.
“My vision and mission is that by the time we are done in four years, Surulere will never be the same again. That is an assurance. At least, as of now, no fewer than 70 to 80 people in Surulere have become proud car owners in my time, and we will continue to do more.
“This year’s edition of our grassroots programme focuses on small businesses in our constituency and to better the income of constituents in the Year 2020. It focuses on ease of transportation and it breaks the cycle of poverty. There will be a minimum of over 500 people going home with N100,000 to N200,000 each to enhance their businesses.
“But I have put a caveat: there will be no disbursement until after Christmas and New Year. If you give somebody N200,000 now, he might spend it on Yuletide activities. So, the grant is for you to develop your businesses so that N200,000 will become N2 million and then N20 million, if properly invested.
“We are currently reconstructing Ibezim Obiajulu Street, Esther Dada-Adeniji link road to Ishaga, Mery Eneli Street, Chief Bereola Street and the wholesome renovation of Elizabeth Fowler Primary School, Surulere,” he said.
Thanking his constituents for their support and the mandate they gave him since 2003, Gbajabiamila said he would continue to work with the Executive arm of government to bring more developmental projects to them.
The Speaker said the notion among some Nigerians that the current National Assembly is a rubber stamp to the Executive was wrong.
According to him, good collaboration between the two arms is always in the best interest of Nigerians.
He said it was for this reason the Ninth National Assembly ensured that the 2020 budget was passed in record time to return the country to the January to December budget cycle.
“In the interest of the 360 Federal constituencies across Nigeria, the National Assembly has returned the budget cycle to January to December.
“This new discipline will increase economic activities and afford the executive to implement the budget containing nationwide projects within the full financial year as against limited implementation scope in the past.
“People, critics and people of other parties have said the Ninth Assembly is a rubber stamp to the Executive. They may have told you that too.
“The fact is that the National Assembly is not a rubber stamp. This is a National Assembly that represents the interests of the people. The people of Surulere did not elect me to fight the Executive but to engage and collaborate with stakeholders to bring dividends of democracy.
“This is a new dispensation. There will be checks and balances. There will be separation of powers. We will agree with the executive if we have to, and we will disagree if we have to. Our watchword is to protect the interests of the Nigerian people. That is the oath I and my colleagues swore to.”
