Reps Reject Apo Legislative Quarters’ Re-naming

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The House of Representatives has shot down moves to rename the ‘Apo Legislative Quarters’ in Abuja because most residents of the quarters are no longer serving legislators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The lawmakers’ position came against the backdrop of a motion by Hon Segun Adekola (PDP-Ekiti) urging the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) to change the name of the Quarters to reflect current realities.

The House unanimously rejected the motion in a voice vote when the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara finally raised the question for members’ determination on the floor.

Adekola had, while moving the motion, said it was in recognition of the reality that the Quarters is no longer serving as an abode which solely accommodates lawmakers.

He noted that the current challenge arose from the Federal Executive Council (FEC)’s 2004 decision that mandated FCDA to sell all Federal Government non-essential Housing units in Abuja.

According to him, this included the ‘Apo Legislative Quarters’ that was sold to lawmaker occupying houses at the time under specific rules and guidelines.

Adekola however said given the development, retaining the name ‘Apo Legislative Quarters’ in describing the place, when the house are currently populated by non-legislators was an aberration that needs to be corrected.

He also pointed out that with houses located in the Quarters having changed hands to third or even fourth parties, there was the need to protect and uphold the sanctity of the legislature by adopting a corrective measure to address the current distortion of historical facts.

The PDP legislator said changing the name of the Quarters where over 80 per cent of current occupants are not lawmakers was the least the House of Representatives could do to rectify the anomaly.

He stated that the “Legislature is the distinctive mark of a Country’s sovereignty; the index of its status as a State and the source of much of the power exercised by the executive arm of government in the administration of the country.

“The Legislature is the bedrock of any government, being an institution which represents the common and collective interests of the citizens through the enactment of laws and the exercise of oversight functions on the activities of the executive arm of government.”

He recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, based on recommendations of an inter-Ministerial Committee headed by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Obong Ufot Ekaette, had in June 2003, directed that the fringe benefits of all public and political office holders be fully monetized.

Aekola however said that singular action by the Obasanjo-led administration has over the years caused serious challenges for new legislators that are now subjected to harrowing experiences in their quest for decent accommodation in the FCT.

In his contributions, Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (PDP-Abia) however sought an amendment to the motion that the FCDA should consider providing befitting quarters to accommodate serving as well as in-coming lawmakers.

Also making his submission, Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon Yussuf Lasun urged Adekola to withdraw the motion, considering that many former members of the National Assembly are still residing in the quarters.

He disagreed with the motion, arguing that the name in contention has no bearing on how the parliament is performing and has so far performed its constitutional responsibilities.

Also speaking on the motion, Deputy Chief Whip, Mr Pally Iriase, said the world over, monuments are being maintained for historical purposes, adding that though many members no longer resided within the quarters, the name remains a point of historical reference that should be preserved.

However, Johnson Agbonayinma (APC-Edo) said the quarters not only lost its status as a national monument the moment it was monetized, but also its initial status and functionality.

The lawmaker stated that the lawmakers must therefore live with the consequences of selling the quarters originally built to accommodate them.

At the turn of every four years, national discourse has continued to centre on difficulties faced by new lawmakers in their search for comfortable accommodation in the nation’s capital city, Abuja.