Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly have expressed worry over the continued closure of the state legislature by the police.
The lawmakers, who spoke with The PUNCH in Jos in separate interviews, said the development was begining to take a toll on the state and its people.
The PUNCH reports that for more than one month, the Plateau State House of Assembly had remained under lock and key at the instance of the police high command whose personnel manned the Assembly complex daily.
The police said it sealed the Assembly complex to forestall a breakdown of law and order in the wake of the leadership crisis rocking the Assembly.
The lawmaker representing Jos East Constituency, Ayuba Abok, and his counterpart from Pengana Constituency, Yakubu Sanda, have been engaged in legal battle over the seat of the Assembly Speaker.
Since the police sealed the Assembly complex more than one month ago, the lawmakers have not been able to hold plenary.
Lamenting the situation in an interview with our correspondent, the lawmaker representing Mangu South constituency, Bala Fwangji, said, “Honestly, the lingering closure of the Assembly complex by the police is not good for the state and its people. Look at the killings that took place in different communities in my constituency last week in Mangu where more than 100 people were killed and their properties destroyed by terrorists.There are certain decisions we ought to have taken as a House in that regard. For instance, as a representative of the people, I would have moved a motion and maybe, a committee would be set up to go and know what is happening in those communities and report back to the House to enable it proffer solution to the issues, which have affected our people.
“But did you hear anything from the state Assembly? Nothing. So, the Plateau Assembly, which is supposed to speak for the people on issues affecting them has been rendered comatose and redundant due to the continuous closure of the Assembly complex by the police.”
Also, the lawmaker representing Riyom Constituency, Timothy Dantong, said, “The quantum of setback to the people of Plateau State as a result of the refusal of the police to allow the lawmakers perform their constitutional functions is better imagined.
“Apart from destroying the democratic practice in the state, so many bills that would have been passed into law to improve the lives of the people are just there without anyone to attend to them.”
The spokesman for the Plateau State Police, Alabo Alfred, when contacted, declined to comment on the matter.
Alabo said, “I won’t comment on anything if it has to do with the issues in the Plateau State House of Assembly.”
