Nigeria: Second Day Of Rowdy Session In Lower
House
For the second
day running, proceedings at the House of Representatives were
stalled by some
members calling for the removal of the Speaker, Mrs. Patricia
Etteh.
At the resumption of plenary session on Wednesday, Speaker
Etteh’s arrival to the chamber was greeted with shouts for and
against her leadership of the House, as the members debate a
report into the probe of an award of contract involving her and
some members.
The insistence by members opposed to her presiding over the
debate prevented normal proceedings from commencing, as the
normal opening prayers and adoption of Tuesday's votes and
proceedings could not hold.
The situation was the same on Tuesday following the insistence
of members of Integrity Group that Speaker Etteh should not
preside over the debate.
Tragedy
The proceedings in the House of
Representatives on Wednesday, was also marred by news of the
death of one of its members, Dr. Aminu Safana, who passed on at
the National
Hospital, Abuja.
Dr. Safana represented Safana/ Batsari/ DanMusa federal
constituency of Katsina State, Northern Nigeria and was chairman
of the health and human services committee in the House before
his death.
He was a second-term member of the House and a former Secretary
to the Katsina State government.
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
appointed Safana Secretary to the Katsina State government
during his first tenure as governor of the state between 1999
and Year 2003.
He was in the House earlier on Wednesday, before he suddenly
took ill and was taken to the hospital.
Proceedings at the House was said to have ended abruptly as the
news of Dr. Safana's death filtered into the hallowed chamber,
NAN/YINKA
