The Senate has paid respect to Ghali Na’Abba, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who died on Wednesday in Abuja, at the age of 65.

The upper chamber, during Saturday’s plenary, observed a minute silence following a motion sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, over the demise of the late Speaker.

Barau was the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations during Na’Abba’s tenure as the Speaker of the House between 1999 and  2003.

Moving the motion, Barau said Na’Abba stood firm for the independence of the legislative arm of government during his tenure as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He said the former Speaker was instrumental to the successful take-off of the House of Representatives by putting in place all necessary structures needed to galvanise a new legislature to perform its functions.

He called on the Senate to honour Na’Abba’s contributions to the development of the legislature in the country by observing a minute silence.

Barau said, “This is to officially inform this august sitting of the death of the founding presiding officer of the House of Representatives of the Fourth Republic, Rt. Hon. Ghali Na’Abba, who died on Wednesday. “He died in Abuja and was buried in Kano according to Islamic rites.

“He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. He fought to put the necessary structure for the taking off of the House of Representatives of the Fourth Republic. He was a dogged fighter who stood firm for the independence of the legislature.

“He will ever be remembered for the sacrifice he made to make sure the House of Representatives was put in the best place to perform its functions. He needs to be honoured by this distinguished Senate for his contributions to the development of the legislature of this country. I, hereby, urge that a minute silence be observed in his honour.”

Seconding the motion, Senator Adamu Aliero, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party from Kebbi State, said the late Na’Ábba played a prominent role in the Fourth Republic as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, said Na’Abba was a pillar in defending the independence of the legislative arm at the onset of the fourth republic.

He recalled that it was during Na’Abba’s tenure that elaborate rules of the legislature were formulated.