The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has been appointed as the Chairman, Nigeria-Finland Parliamentary Friendship Group.
This was contained in a letter from the Office of the Speaker, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas dated May 14th 2024.
Agbese heads a strong team of six parliamentarians from Nigeria that also includes Hon. Okere Tochukwu Chinedu (Imo) as deputy.
Others are Hon. Richard Olufemi (Ekiti), Hon. Ekpo Paul (Akwa Ibom), Hon. Akiba Bassey Ekpenyong (Cross Rivers), Hon. Saba Ahmed Adam (Kwara) and Hon. Fulata Abubakar Hassan (Jigawa) as members.
The Speaker, therefore, charged Agbese and his colleagues to enhance Nigeria’s legislative relationship with Finland in line with the 10th National Assembly Legislative Agenda.
On his part, the Honorable Member representing Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo thanked the Speaker for finding him worthy of another assignment and promised not to disappoint.
“I am deeply honoured to have been selected for this prestigious role and am excited to work towards strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two nations,” he said.
“I am committed to dedicating my time, energy, and expertise to lead the group effectively and ensure its objectives are achieved.
“I look forward to working closely with my colleagues from both Nigeria and Finland to promote cultural exchange, economic cooperation, and parliamentary diplomacy.
“I am eager to explore opportunities for collaboration in areas such as education, innovation, and sustainable development, and to facilitate dialogue and understanding between our nations.
“ I am confident that our joint efforts will yield fruitful results and contribute to the prosperity of both Nigeria and Finland.”
Agbese was only recently elected Rapporteur, Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs at the Pan-African Parliament.