Reps to suspend plenary for 2 weeks over coronavirus

The House of Representatives has called for the suspension of plenary for two weeks to prevent the spread of Coronavirus in the National Assembly. The House, however, did not specify when the plenary would be suspended. The House, in a resolution at Tuesday’s plenary, said the two weeks break would give members opportunity to be […]

The House of Representatives has called for the suspension of plenary for two weeks to prevent the spread of Coronavirus in the National Assembly.

The House, however, did not specify when the plenary would be suspended.

The House, in a resolution at Tuesday’s plenary, said the two weeks break would give members opportunity to be tested for the virus and make adequate preparation against spread of the disease in the National Assembly.

This was sequel to the motion: “Need for Emergency Response to Tackling of Coronavirus in Nigeria”, sponsored by Idem Uyinan (PDP, Akwa Ibom).

The Minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta), who added the prayer that the House should close plenary for two weeks, which was unanimously adopted, said the period would allow the management to put adequate preventive measures.

“So that all of us can be tested. This is a very serious matter because you don’t know who you are shaking,” he said.

Also speaking, Isiaka Ibrahim (APC, Ogun) lamented that Nigeria is at zero level in terms of disease control centres saying, “Lagos state government was the one that equipped the Lagos centre.”

Awaji-Inombek Abiante, (PDP, Rivers) regretted that the House stepped down a motion asking for transporting stranded Nigerians back home from China for lack of capacity to handle the disease. “Now, our fears have caught up with us,” he said.

Obinna Chidoka (PDP, Anambra) said the motion was timely and called on the government to put in place proactive measures that will prevent the spread of the epidemic in the country.

He noted that, outside the health sectors in Nigeria, there is no place that people patronises more than the National Assembly, and therefore called for serious preventive measures in the Complex.

He also advised government to establish more isolation centres, urging the legislature to be stricter in oversight functions to ensure that the health sector live up to expectations.

Similarly, Lawan Shettima Ali (APC, Yobe) said the motion is timely and called on the government to intensify effort to sensitise border communities on the coronavirus so that they would not fall victims of the scourge.

In his lead debate, Hon. Uyime said the leadership of the National Assembly should set up an ad-hoc committee to liaise with relevant health agencies to prevent the spread of the disease.

He said the Federal Government should release more funds to the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to quarantine, treat, and contain spread of the virus.

Our correspondents who went round the National Assembly complex observed that no basic preventive equipment was available.

At the entrance to the National Assembly, no preventive measures have been put in place to screen staff and visitors coming into the complex.

In all the toilets visited in the complex, there were no disinfectant and sterilizers on the wash-hand basins and no safety tip placed in the entire complex.