By Abraham Olatokunbo
The Senate, on Tuesday, upon resumption from its two weeks recess, adjourned plenary till Wednesday, 14th March, 2021, over the recent death of two members of the National Assembly.
This was just as the upper chamber held a minute silence in honour of both lawmakers who are members of the House of Representatives.
The decision to suspend plenary was carried out in line with the tradition of the National Assembly, following a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Moving the motion, the Senate Leader said, “this Distinguished chamber and, to our Distinguished colleagues, the passing of two members of the National Assembly by names of Honourable Haruna Maitala, who until his demise represented Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency of Plateau State, and who we lost on 2nd April, 2021, in a ghastly motor accident.
“The second loss we suffered, was that of another Honourable member, Hon. Suleiman Aliyu Lere, representing Lere Federal Constituency from Kaduna State, whom we also lost on 6th April , 2021.”
Abdullahi added: “Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues, I rise in accordance with our tradition, to move a two motions: one for the suspension on all other items scheduled for consideration on the order paper today; [And] also another motion for this Distinguished chamber to observe one minute silence in honour of the departed, I so move.”
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, while putting the motion to a voice vote which was unanimously supported by Senators, described the demise of the two lawmakers as “another sad development in the National Assembly”.
The upper chamber, thereafter, held a minute silence in honour of the deceased lawmakers before adjourning plenary till Wednesday, 14th April, 2021.
