EXTRA: ‘It’s like a marketplace’ — reps adjourn plenary over ‘rowdiness’

There was a mild drama on Monday as the house of representatives adjourned plenary over “rowdiness”.

The lawmakers resumed plenary on Monday after a six-week break to enable the various committees to work on the 2023 budget proposal submitted to the national assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

While addressing his colleagues at the start of plenary on Monday, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house, said the legislative business for the day will not exceed 12 pm because he has an appointment elsewhere.

But after reading his welcome remarks and a few letters from Buhari, the house turned rowdy as some lawmakers could be seen moving around the chamber, with others muttering.

Not even the several “silence, please” calls by Tahir Monguno, chief whip of the house, and Nkiru Onyejeocha, deputy whip, restored silence in the house.

Speaking before the plenary was adjourned till Wednesday, Gbajabiamila said the sitting could not continue because the chamber is like a “marketplace”.

“It looks like members are not ready to sit anyway. I think this is the first time you are seeing each other after budget defence of six weeks,” he said.

“We cannot continue like this in this kind of rowdiness. I will not continue like this.

“No, no. We are going to skip all the reports till Wednesday. By Wednesday, everybody will be ready to attend sitting because this is like a marketplace.”

Meanwhile, Muhammad Alkali, a member of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), has been sworn in as lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos north federal constituency of Plateau state.

Alkali was elected in a bye-election after Musa Agah was sacked by the election petition tribunal — a ruling that was also affirmed by the supreme court.