Nigeria: Offensive odour sacks Reps till Nov 17

Speaker Dogara and House Leader, Gbajabiamila

** Dogara, Gbajabiamila call truce

From Fred Itua and Kemi Yesufu, Abuja

POOR sanitary facilities including stinking toilets, a leaking roof, lack of water forced the House of Repre­sentatives to adjourn plenary abruptly due to an offensive odour which pervaded the chamber.

The overpowering stench made the environment un­condusive, following non-availability of water to take care of the toilets.

Deputy Speaker, Sulai­mon Yussuff Lasun, who presided at plenary, ad­journed sitting till Novem­ber 17 to allow an overhaul of the place, even as he as­sured his colleagues that the House Services Committee was handling the situation.

The member represent­ing Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Micheal Etaba raised a Point of Order where he lamented the entire environ­ment, both within and out­side the chamber, was full of offensive odour and that water was not running in his office.

He also told his colleagues that the chamber was not conducive as a result of the stench.

Lasun reiterated that the situation was being handled by the House Services Com­mittee and, thereafter, after exhausting motions on the day’s order paper, adjourned to next Tuesday.

Daily Sun gathered that beside the persistent lack of water in the premises, monitors in the House do not show clearly, the cool­ing system is not function­ing well, microphones are no longer audible and, even the roof in the chamber is leaking.

Meanwhile, days after a fresh face-off broke out be­tween Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila over an alleged lopsided composi­tion of various standing committees, the leadership yesterday disclosed that ar­eas of differences had been resolved.

Addressing National As­sembly correspondents, Deputy House spokesman, Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi, said following a meeting be­tween Dogara and Gbajabi­amila on Tuesday, both lead­ers agreed to work together in the interest of the country.

“The two leaders had a meeting onTuesday and I believe they were able to reach an amicable resolu­tion and everything is okay. They are ready to give Nige­rians the direction that they want.”

The Sun