SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEMI GBAJABIAMILA ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO REPS MEMBERS

The days when members sign attendance register in the Chamber and walk away is gone for good, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila told his colleagues on Thursday.

Gbajabiamila spoke while ruling on a Point of Order by a member, Haruna Dederi, who observed that the quorum was not formed on the floor as members debated a motion on drug abuse.

Dederi, while speaking on the Point of Order, noted that members were very few in the Chamber and a quorum of 120 members was not formed.

But, Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu said a quorum cannot be determined by the number of members in the Chamber.

According to him, “some members have come, signed in the chamber and left for committee assignments and oversight.”

House Leader Ado Doguwa said it is an established tradition, admitting that the number of members in the Chamber did not reflect quorum.

Gbajabiamila, who said the House would have to suspend its rules, if the debate would continue, noted that the usual excuse to continue plenary when the quorum is not formed is wrong.

He referred members to Order 4 Rule 2, saying the House should keep to the spirit of the rule.

Gbajabiamila said that things should be done in conformity with the rules of the House.

Also yesterday, the House resolved to probe all the roads constructed by the Federal Government across the country since 2007 to date.

The House urged the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to include the construction and rehabilitation of the bad roads in the country in the priority list for the 2020 budget.