Reps silent on Rivers State of Emergency, focuses on other matters

The House of Representatives on Wednesday concluded its plenary session without addressing the state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu had on Tuesday imposed emergency rule in the oil-rich state following prolonged political instability. Many had expected lawmakers to discuss the development during Wednesday’s sitting, but the session ended without any mention of the issue.

However, before plenary began, there was a heated exchange between two female lawmakers over the emergency declaration. Honourable Blessing Amadi from Rivers State and Marie Ebikake engaged in a shouting match just before proceedings commenced. Despite the tense moment, plenary went ahead as scheduled.

During the session, lawmakers turned their focus to investigating the Federal Government’s conditional cash transfer programme. Honourable Abass Adigun, who moved the motion, pointed out that while selected beneficiaries were initially promised N50,000 per month for three months, many received payments late, while others had yet to be paid. He also noted that the National Cash Transfer Office had not provided explanations for the delays.

The House resolved to probe the situation to ensure transparency and efficiency in the programme’s implementation.