House of reps suspends sitting for two weeks over Coronavirus fears

By our reporter| The house of representatives on Tuesday resolved to suspend sitting for two weeks over fears for coronavirus.

According to the house, the two-week suspension is also to enable the federal lawmakers to be tested for the virus.

Earlier in the day, Josiah Edem from Akwa Ibom state introduced a motion on ‘emergency response to tackle coronavirus’.

Most of the lawmakers in their contribution decried the lack of adequate to prepare the national assembly in the event of the infection of staff or any of the visitors.

Minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu, subsequently moved for an amendment that the house should suspend its activities to enable the management put in adequate measures to avoid the spread of the virus.

He said, “This house should suspend plenary for two weeks for adequate handling of this matter and to allow management to put measures so that all of us can be tested.”

“This is a very serious matter… otherwise, you don’t know who you are shaking.”

Isiaka Ibrahim from Ogun said the federal government “needs to do more to be pro-active”.

He said, “The facilities are not here presently.”

“There are only two control centres, one in Lagos and one in Abuja. Nigeria is standing at zero as far as this is concerned.

“This is a wake up call for all of us. We are not talking about coronavirus. What is the case after coronavirus?”

In his contribution, Awaji-Inombek Abiante from Rivers state said there is nothing to check the spread of the virus to the National Assembly Complex.

“We brought down a motion to bring down our brothers and sisters in Wuhan for fear that we don’t have the capacity to handle it. Now, our fears have caught up with us,” he said.

“We saw where ministers were praising themselves that Nigeria was ready for the coronavirus. We should be more pro-active. Here, there is nothing to check any man who is symptomatic.

“We don’t have anything at all. Are we ready for what is coming to us? The answer is no. Let us make contributions that will indeed better the future of this country and that of Nigerians.”