Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba will on Monday, July 6 chair the first detailed book on National Assembly entitled; “Nigeria Fourth Republic National Assembly.” The 400-page book was published in the United Kingdom.
The event which holds at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre is expected to attract virtually all the past and present presiding officers of the National Assembly. President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki will be the Special Guest.
The book the first of its kind since the inception of the current National Assembly in 1999 is a rich and authoritative reference material on the federal parliament.
Written by Austin Uganwa, a Doctorate Degree holder in Political Communication; renowned journalist and prolific writer, former chairman of the House Press Corps and two-time Special Adviser in the office of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives; the book provides uncommon insights into the eras of the various presiding officers of the National Assembly from 1999 to 2007.
A statement made available to journalists in Abuja by the author, Dr. Uganwa contained that the book is an extensive exposition of the politics, challenges, debilitating drama, nights of long knives, metaphoric banana peels and consensus building approach that attended the two chambers of the National Assembly at the wake of the Fourth Republic until 2007.
The author notes: “the book evaluates in the most downright fashion mass media coverage of the National Assembly based on the Social Responsibility press model that guides media function in democracy. It puts in context and perspective the face-offs that for the first four years defined the relationship between the House and the Presidency”.
According to him, the collapse of tenures of Salisu Buhari; Evan Enwerem; Chuba Okadigbo; Adolphus Wabara and Patricia Etteh and the death knell of Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term project are extensively captured in the book.
Some of the dignitaries expected at the public presentation of the book include; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; all the present and past presiding officers and other principal officers of the National Assembly; Ghanaian, United Kingdom, Canadian High Commissioners to Nigeria and United States and Chinese Ambassadors to the country and captains of Industry.