National Honours Award: Reps reject CFR for Speaker, lower chamber tag

Jonas Ezieke, Abuja

The House of Representatives of the National Assembly has called for a proper recognition of the green chamber as the second arm of the bicameral legislature in the nation’s governmental system even as some lawmakers called for the rejection of the national honours of Commander of the Federal Republic CFR title for its speaker.

This followed the adoption of a motion titled ‘Multi-Partisan Motion on the Inappropriate Discrimination Against the House of Representatives and the Presentation of the Chamber As Inferior to the Senate’ sponsored by Hon.Philip Agbese (Benue,APC) and 235 others on the matter on the floor of the House.

While debating the motion Hon Agbese said: “Aware that the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is constitutionally established as a bicameral legislature comprising two equal chambers – the Senate and the House of Representatives, as stipulated in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), with both chambers operating within a framework that ensures the legislative independence and equality of each.

“Further Aware that Section 47 of the 1999 Constitution provides for the establishment of the National Assembly, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives, each of which plays distinct but complementary roles in the legislative process.

“Concerned that there is an ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, often portrayed as inferior to the Senate, through language that consistently refers to the Senate as the “upper chamber” and the House of Representatives as a “lower chamber.” This terminology misrepresents the legal status of both chambers and diminishes the House’s standing.

“Worried by the growing trend where the President of the Senate is referred to as the “Chairman of the National Assembly,” which inaccurately implies a hierarchical structure between the two chambers, contrary to the Constitution, and undermines the authority of the Speaker of the House of Representatives”.

According to the lawmaker, neither the the 1999 Constitution nor the Standing Orders of both chambers recognises the position of a Chairman of the National Assembly-a title that has no legal basis and undermines the position of House as a co-equal institution of the legislature

He expressed further concerns that this discriminatory practice was once again evidenced during the recent conferment of National Honours on the leadership of the National Assembly by Mr. President.

While thanking the President Bola Tinubu for recognising and honouring the leadership of the National Assembly, he noted that the conferment of the title of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the President of the Senate and the conferment of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy President of the Senate perpetuates the inappropriate subordination of the Speaker to the President of the Senate.

The Benue State born All Progressives Congress APC lawmaker further noted that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is lower in protocol ranking than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was also awarded the title of GCON, further exemplifying this culture of discrimination against the leadership of the House;

He pointed out that the Constitution, in promoting a balanced and equal bicameral legislature, clearly provides that bills passed by one chamber must be concurred with by the other in the same form for them to become law, thus affirming the equal status of both chambers as essential components of the legislative process;

While urging his colleagues to support the motion, he added that while the Constitution assigns specific responsibilities to the Senate, such as confirming certain presidential appointments, it implies greater authority for the House of Representatives over appropriations and the power of the purse. These distinct roles are designed to maintain a system of checks and balances within the legislative arm rather than establishing the superiority of one chamber over the other.

He also stated that the House of Representatives and the Senate are two distinct but equal components of the legislative branch, and their leaders – the Speaker and the President of the Senate – are co-heads of this branch, each playing a unique role in advancing legislative functions.

He argued that this distinct dual leadership is a unique arrangement in our governmental system that must be respected;

Moreover, that the enabling acts establishing institutions under the National Assembly, including the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), the National Assembly Library, and the National Assembly Budget and Research Office(NABRO), clearly reflect the co-leadership status of the Speaker and the President of the Senate, thereby validating the equality of both chambers;

The lawmaker also said that the National Honours Act of 1964 does not explicitly prescribe the conferment of specific honours, such as the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) for the President of the Senate or the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and that these distinctions are rooted in customary practice rather than statutory requirement;

He also submitted that the honour of GCON is not restricted to any particular office or individual but can be awarded to any distinguished Nigerian deemed deserving by the President, as evidenced by the recent conferment of GCON on Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala by former President Muhammadu Buhari, this House acknowledges the flexibility inherent in the National Honours system and the prerogative of the President in the allocation of such distinctions.

Consequently the House presided by the Speaker Hon.Tajudeen Abbas adopted the motion with a voice vote

The motion sponsor Hon Agbese and other lawmakers in their prayers in the motion rejected the discriminatory practice of referring to the Senate as the “upper chamber” and the House of Representatives as the “lower chamber,” as well as portraying the Speaker as subordinate to the President of the Senate.

They said that such references undermine the equal status of both chambers as established by the Constitution and diminish the standing of the House of Representatives in the legislative process.

The green chamber they insisted should affirm that the House of Representatives is an independent and equal chamber of the National Assembly, and the Speaker is a co-head of the legislative arm of government alongside the President of the Senate. (Power of the purse)

They canvassed that the President has to recognize the Speaker of the House of Representatives as co-chairman of the National Assembly in all respects, and request that all references to the leadership of the National Assembly reflect this equality.

They call all government institutions, officials, and the media to take cognisance of language and titles that suggest a hierarchical structure between the Senate and the House of Representatives or their respective leaders.

The presiding officer later constitutes an Ad-hoc Committees to liaise with the Senate and the Presidency to propose amendments to the National Honours Act of 1964 to appropriately recognise the Speaker of the House of Representatives as co-head of the National Assembly and, accordingly, confer the national honour of GCON upon the Speaker, ensuring parity in recognition with the President of the Senate. This should be accomplished before the formal decoration by Mr. President.

He directed the Clerk of the National Assembly to ensure that all communications, orders, and publications from the National Assembly henceforth refer to both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate as co-heads of the National Assembly.

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