Nasarawa Lawmakers Queue For Committees’ Sittings

• Lament lack of accommodation to perform legislative functions

FROM AHMED TUKUR, LAFIA – Lack of Committee hearing rooms for both public hearing and budget defence has forced Nasarawa State lawmakers into taking turns and queuing to perform their legislative and other adhoc functions.

In frustration, various Standing Committees on Tuesday resorted to queue for Committees’ rooms in order to deliver on their assignments which have been hampered by lack of accommodation.

Given the slow pace of Committees work, the House of Assembly, which has commenced 2020 budget defence performance by State various Ministry, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), had to rely on the Speaker’s conference room for succour.

The situation now sees each Committee queuing for space per time as there is no single Committee room in the assembly complex since the commencement of democracy in 1999.

Forefront notes that the Assembly complex was constructed by the military administration of Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim during the regime of Late General Sani Abacha.

It was later renovated by the late Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration between 2007 and 2011.

However, despite the renovation work, the Assembly Complex is yet to have a single designated Hearing room for conducive committee work and this has seriously affected the State lawmakers’ output

The Chairman House Committee on Lands and Survey, David Maiyaki on Tuesday was all apologies to staff of the State Ministry of Land and Survey for keeping them waiting.

The Ministry staff, who were at the Assembly Complex from 10am, had to wait for about two hours for the Committee on Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) to tidy up their work before being ushered into the Conference room.

During Tuesday’s Committee work, about three Ministries were invited for defence and had to queue for hours before they were attended to by the various house committees.

For now, the Speaker’s Conference room, deployed as an all purpose vehicle, is grossly inadequate for Committee’s hearing given the size that can only accommodate about 20 people