Some members of Kogi State House of Assembly have for sometime now not showing up for the plenary due to what was discovered to be poor morale of members and the lack of welfare in the State legislature.
On Tuesday, only 10 members out of 25 were present for legislative debate, and the trend has been a recurrent decimal where the Chamber don’t even form a quorum in order for the legislative activities to proceed.
Initially, the lack of quorum was thought to be due to the 2023 Presidential campaign of the State governor, which the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mathew Kolawole was spearheading as he has been visiting States with some members trying to market Yahaya Bello presidency to his counterparts.
For sometime, Kogi Assembly has been in slumber with virtually nothing happening in terms of legislative duties. A female administrative staff of the House of Assembly who pleaded anonymity told CAPITAL POST that the legislature in Kogi State has gone asleep for the meantime.
She explained that members have nothing to boast in terms of welfare packages, saying that for the first time in the history of Kogi Assembly, the cost of official vehicles they are using are being deducted from their salaries and their allowances are not paid.
She further told CAPITAL POST that they have deserted because of pressure from their constituents, revealing that some of them are ‘cooling off’ in Abuja.
According to her, some of them who are aggrieved may boycott plenaries in protest and give untenable execuses since they can’t risk speaking out on their plight.
Meanwhile, the Speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole however, decried the attitude of some lawmakers who attends executive sessions without attending plenary sittings.
The Speaker made the observation at Tuesday plenary sitting saying any lawmaker who is fond of doing so would be termed to be absent.
He however, moved a motion to take effect and it was seconded by the majority leader representing Ajaokuta State Constituency, Bello Hassan Balogun.
Citing relevant sections of the house rules, the speaker noted that the motion so moved was to put to effect relevant sections of the house rules.
Before Tuesday’s sitting, some members participated in an executive meeting which held in the Speaker’s office, but were absent from the plenary out of anger.
Meanwhile, a bill for a law to repeal and re-enact the Kogi State Hotel and Edict, 1995, establishing the Kogi State Hotels and Tourism Board and a bill for a law to establish Kogi State Erosion and Watershed Management agency passed second reading in the house amid the lack of quorum.
The Assembly members have spent two years and two months out of a four year mandate, having been sworn into office on May 29th 2019.
