About a hundred members of the House of Representatives in Abuja raised their voices on Tuesday, protesting what they believe is a discriminatory approach in allocating seats and offices to members.
The disgruntled lawmakers warned that this trend could potentially disrupt legislative activities.
These protesting lawmakers, largely first-time members, objected to the seats assigned to them in one of the temporary chambers, situated on the third floor, which they deemed unsuitable.
Additionally, some expressed dissatisfaction over the distribution of offices among members.
The House Committee on Welfare, led by Rep. Olawale Raji (APC-Lagos), was responsible for seat allocation.
As per the committee’s list, 240 members were assigned seats on the second floor, while a handful of members, including some new ones, were given seats on the ground floor.
In response to the unrest, the Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, urged for tranquillity.
He assured that the main Chamber, currently under renovation, would be ready before the House resumed from its break.
Rep. Khadijat Bukar-Ibrahim, Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on Media, acknowledged a minor uproar during the plenary session.
She explained that the Welfare Committee was responsible for office allocation and that all members had been assigned an office.
Concerning the seating, Bukar-Ibrahim stated, “You know we are in a temporary seating area, so there are not enough seats for all members to sit downstairs. So, some have to be accommodated upstairs.”
To resolve the issue, the Speaker directed members to occupy any available seat they find downstairs, a solution that Bukar-Ibrahim noted was welcomed by all.
