Cynthia Ezegwu
Tension gripped the House of Representatives on Tuesday as plenary was abruptly adjourned without consideration of a single item on the day’s Order Paper.
The Order Paper for the day contained 30 bills for first reading, 16 reports for consideration, eight bills for second reading, and six motions scheduled for possible adoption.
Proceedings had begun with the arrival of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and other principal officers, after which lawmakers went into a closed-door executive session that lasted for about an hour.
Although no official explanation was given for the session, sources within the chamber disclosed that discussions centred on the expiration of a one-week ultimatum issued to the Minister of Finance and other relevant agencies to clear outstanding debts owed to indigenous contractors.
Upon resumption, tension mounted when Hon. Ifeanyi Uzokwe (Anambra) repeatedly sought recognition to raise a point of order, but was ignored by the Speaker, who continued with announcements, including a notice of an emergency meeting of the South West caucus.
Despite being asked to approach the chair privately, Uzokwe persisted, prompting the House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, to move a motion for adjournment. The motion was swiftly adopted, bringing the session to an unexpected close.
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Speaking in confidence, a two-term member of the House described the development as “troubling,” citing growing discontent among lawmakers over what he termed poor internal management.
“What happened today shows that many members are losing confidence in the leadership’s handling of internal matters. There’s a sense that key decisions are being made without adequate consultation, and that’s creating resentment,” the lawmaker said.
The House is expected to reconvene on Wednesday to resume legislative business.