Attah Ede, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly members, yesterday, suspended their sitting following Governor Hyacinth Alia inability to provide housing and car allowances to them.
The lawmakers also refused to work on the supplementary appropriation bill recently sent to the House by the governor as a result of the suspension of their plenary.
Our correspondents learnt that, the members have resolved not to return to sitting until the governor responds to their demands which is the releasing of their housing allowance and purchase of their official cars.
it was also gathered that the law makers are bearing grudges against the state governor over the poor state of their accommodation.
Some of them said they are now tired of staying in unofficial accommodations to perform their legislative duties.
A member of the House, who spoke to our correspondent in Makurdi on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the House “resolved not to sit until our allowances are paid”.
“We have spent over four months without official cars and decent accommodations that would help us to perform our legislative duties optimally and move round for oversight functions.
“Our constituents who are supposed to be visiting us in our respective official residences are being denied the opportunity just because we have no place to accommodate them.
” The governor has not given us any reason why these things we are asking for have not been provided. The nature of our work requires what we are demanding for.
“It is not a big deal for the governor to release these two major items within 60 days of our inauguration”, he said.
Recalled that the lawmakers had on Tuesday convened for sitting, but later departed the temporary chamber located inside the government house Makurdi for no reason given.
Similar scenario played out on Thursday, when all the members came to the chamber with the speaker of the house Aondona Dajoh and the deputy clerk of the house with expectation to sit.
They later shun their sitting , saying they are not ready for any lawmaking business until the governor meet their demands.
The House members also made attempt to reconvened today (Friday) but the moves became unsuccessful even with the intervention of the special adviser to the Governor on Assembly Matters, Jonathan Laver.