The Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said all Nigerians must embrace dialogue to resolve the lingering controversy that exists among them.
The speaker stated this when he addressed State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He maintained that divisions along ethnic or regional divides must cease, for peace to reign.
He said: “Everybody just has to come to the table and discuss and come to an amicable resolution which I’m sure we will.
“I don’t think any ethnic group should lord it over any ethnic group, the South West should not lord it over the North, the North should not lord it over the South.
“We should respect each other’s trade, geographical space, history, culture and more importantly the issue of crime, murder, all those things should be completely jettisoned.
“But more importantly, we all have to sit on the table and discuss this matter and look for the way forward. I think everybody is willing to do that.
“From the National Assembly, solutions will come from talking.
“I believe that now that we are about to start work on Tuesday, I know these issues will come up and adequate and proper legislation that will address the issue frontally and in the best interest of the country, and all nations that make up the nation, such legislation will be put in place,” he said.
On the recent appointment of Service Chiefs, the speaker said the National Assembly was in support of the president’s decision to effect changes in the nation’s security architecture.
According to him, the National Assembly will make the working environment suitable for the new service chiefs to operate efficiently.
“The appointment of new Service Chiefs is what everybody has been clamouring for, the house, senate, the public and the president took his time and he studied the situation very well and did it at the right time that he thought he should do it and we are in support of what he has done.
“Everything that is needed, we are all in this today. The National Assembly will not in any way put hurdles before the Service Chiefs.
“We will make the working environment suitable for them to be able to discharge their responsibilities very efficiently,” he said.
On the on-going registration and revalidation of the membership of Nigeria’s governing party, the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Gbajabiamila called on citizens to register with the party for the general progress of the nation.
“Everybody should come out and register. You know registration is the beginning of an election process, election is not a one-day event, it has started already.
“I will encourage all party members, those who are not even party members who have not registered before, those who have attained the age of 18, those who have seen the good works of Mr President and this party (APC), to come in and join the fold and register.
“You know politics is about numbers, they can pick whoever they want to elect to represent them as a party flag bearer.
“Don’t forget registration serves dual purpose, one is for primary and the second one is for election. You have to take ownership of the party and that is what we are asking people to do.”