House Of Representatives Members Protest During Plenary Over Seating Arrangements

Some Members of the House of Representatives complained about the approach of allocating of seats and offices to members during plenary on Tuesday, stressing that it is a discriminatory approach.

The disgruntled lawmakers warned that this trend could potentially disrupt legislative activities in the coming days, if it is not properly handled by the leadership of the house.

The aggrieved lawmakers who are majorly first-time members, objected to the seats assigned to them in one of the temporary chambers, situated on the third floor, which they deemed unsuitable.

While some expressed dissatisfaction over the allocation and distribution of offices among members of the house.

The House Committee on Welfare, ably led by Olawale Raji (APC-Lagos), was responsible for seats allocation and distribution of the house.

As per the committee’s list, 240 members were assigned seats on the second floor, while other members including some first-time members were given seats on the ground floor.

In response to the unrest, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, urged for tranquillity.

He assured that the main chamber which is currently under renovation, would be ready before the house will resume from its break.

Khadijat Bukar-Ibrahim, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Media, acknowledged a minor uproar during the plenary session yesterday.

She explained that the welfare committee was responsible for office allocation, and that all members had been assigned an office.

To resolve the issue, the Speaker directed members to occupy any available seat they find downstairs, a solution that Bukar-Ibrahim noted was welcomed by all.