Cynthia Ezegwu
The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday turned chaotic after lawmakers clashed over several motions of urgent public importance bordering on the protection of lives and key government assets.
The session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, degenerated into a shouting match, forcing the House to go into a closed-door meeting to restore order.
Trouble began when the member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye, raised a motion on the alleged illegal allocation of lands within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex. Kuye, who chairs the House Committee on Public Assets, urged that the matter be referred to his committee for investigation.
However, Francis Waive, representing Delta State and Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, objected, insisting that the issue fell under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce. He was supported by Mark Esset from Akwa Ibom State.
In defence of Kuye’s motion, Yusuf Gagdi from Plateau State argued that the Committee on Public Assets was best suited to handle the investigation.
With no resolution in sight, Gbefwi Gaza (SDP, Nasarawa) proposed, on the advice of Kalu, that an ad-hoc committee comprising members of both Public Assets and Commerce committees be constituted to investigate the matter.
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When the motion was put to a voice vote, the outcome appeared inconclusive. Kalu, however, ruled in favour of the nays, sparking outrage and uproar among lawmakers.
The tension escalated further when subsequent motions—one by Mohammed Bio (Kwara State) on worsening insecurity in his constituency, and another by Ayodeji Alao-Akala on Nigeria’s classification as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States—were also met with stiff resistance and counter-yells from opposing members.
Realising the growing disorder, Kalu suspended the plenary and called for a closed-door session to calm tempers and restore decorum.
Details of the meeting were still being awaited as of press time.