By Tina George, Minna
Following their inability to witness the swearing-in of the new members of the state executive council, members of the Niger state House of Assembly are currently angry with the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, and vowed not to enter government house.
They will not also attend any event scheduled to hold in Government House in order to, according to them, save them from further embarrassment by the Executive.
The Legislators were reportedly denied entrance into the Niger State Government House on Wednesday when they arrived at the gate to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Commissioners.
It was gathered that the Legislators were denied entry into the government house because they were late to the event and security personnel were trying to control the mammoth crowd who tried to gain entrance into the Government House to witness the event.
Expressing their displeasure over what they termed ’embarrassing’, some of the Legislators who spoke to newsmen regarding the issue, vowed never to step into Government House again.
The Member representing Wushishi Constituency, Mohammed Bashir Lokogoma said that for members of the House of Assembly to be denied entry into Government House showed that the office of the Legislators was not respected in the state.
He said that the members who were representing the people at the grassroots have the right to attend the event, especially when they were the ones who confirmed the Commissioners.
“It is very unfortunate, as a member representing my constituency, I think I am a major stakeholder regarding this issue. We were the ones who confirmed these commissioners, why should we be denied entrance?
“I do not think that going to the government house as a Legislator is out of place. No matter what, they should have found a way for us to come in and even get a place for us to sit. There were people who were not officials of the Niger state government who were allowed in and we, who are members were not allowed in.
“It is very unfortunate, it made me cry. I have been in the system for a long time, this is my fourth term in the Niger state Assembly and this situation made me cry because I have never had an embarrassment like this before.
“I have vowed never to go into Government House again, no matter the function that is being held there, I will never ever enter into Government house again. My work is in the House of Assembly and not in Government House.”
The Member representing Bosso constituency, Madaki Malik Bosso, who also spoke vowed to avoid entering government house, saying that the excuse that they were late was not tenable.
“They said we were late, are we students? It is only students that you tell them that they are late. As a member of the state Assembly, you tell me I am late? Do they have timing in government house, do they have time for who should come when and how? When we got there, the event was yet to begin, so how are we late?
“It is very embarrassing and the only way I would avoid this embarrassment would be to advise myself to avoid going to government house. And the same goes with other legislators.”
Other members expressed their anger towards the situation as they said they could not speak so that they would not say things that would be termed as disrespectful.
The Member representing Edati Constituency, Honorable Saliu Tamar who spoke also said, “Nobody brought me to the House of Assembly, it was God that brought me through my constituency and no other person.
“It is unfortunate that we went through this kind of situation. In Niger state, we are in mess entirely. I do not want to speak about the issues, I am still angry.”
