The nomination of Femi Gbajabiamila, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, as Chief of Staff to Nigeria’s president after rendering 20 years of service in the Green Chamber has been well received with warmth and goodwill messages pouring in from near and afar.
It has met with approval from stakeholders across the board. One of these is Uche Nwosu, the President of the Ugwumba Leadership Centre and former Chief of Staff to the Imo State Government, who characterized Gbajabiamila as a bridge builder.
The appointment was conferred on Gbajabiamila by the newly inaugurated President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday, 8th of June 2023. This saw Gbaja, as he is fondly called, throwing in his hat at the House of Representatives, to resume his new office the following Wednesday in the Presidency.
This thus prompted selection of a replacement to fill the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila CFR, was born on the 25th, June 1962. He is married to Salamatu Gbajabiamila with an estimated networth of $3-$4 million. He studied at Igbobi College Lagos, Kings William College in the UK and the University of Lagos (LL.B.) and began his career as a lawyer with the law firm of Bentley, Edu and Co., where he distinguished himself.
Following this he set up a law practice, Femi Gbaja and Co., from where he proceeded to Marshall Law School in Atlanta Georgia, in the United States of America to obtain a Juris Doctor Degree. He further went on to write and pass the Georgia exams after which he set up another thriving law office, where he practiced as well as actively participated in Bill Campbell’s election as Mayor of Atlanta until his return to Nigeria.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Gbajabiamila delved into partisan politics and offered himself up for service on the platform of the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) and in 2003, was elected a member of the House of Representatives from Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State, six times consecutively.
During Gbajabiamila’s representation of Surulere 1 Constituency, his constituents resolved to re-elect him in 2011, 2015 and 2019, after seeing his sterling performance on the floor of the green chamber through the numerous projects he attracted to the area and his resounding representation of their interests and aspirations.
This robust legislative experience, along with a deep understanding of the legislative process, and ability to articulate complex ideas and policies in a clear and concise manner, through his strong communication skills elected him, Speaker for the 9th National Assembly, House of Representative, with a total of 283 votes in 2019 while his opponent Mohammed Umar Bago had 78 votes.
He was then saddled with the responsibility of controlling the flow of business in the House and acting as spokesperson for the House in its dealings with the Senate and bodies outside the parliament.
Some of the Bills he personally sponsored were; Students’ Loan (Access to Higher Education) Bill, 2019; Physically-Challenged (Empowerment) Bill, 2019; Criminalization of Estimated Billing System Bill, 2019 among others.
As Speaker of the 14th House, he had to prioritize the interest of the country by raising a motion on the floor of the House to invoke the doctrine of necessity, during the illness and absence of President Umar Musa Yar’adua. It was this motion moved in the House and the Senate that led to the swearing-in of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, making him the first and only lawmaker to introduce this resolution.
It is no wonder then, that Gbajabiamila’s competence, shrewd navigation of legislative matters, intricate networking skills and understanding of governance from the grassroots and up the ladder, brought him into the limelight as a worthy representative of the people and an astute leader of men.
Add to this, his staunch resolve and unflinching loyalty to the All Progressives Congress (APC) party over the years and the justification of his selection for the position of Chief of Staff to the President becomes as clear as the light of day.
Surely, Gbajabiamila’s learning in the law, long experience and leadership in the legislature, deep roots in the APC and his principled and decisive nature, will stand him in good stead in his new assignment.
