Assembly WATCH

As the State House of Assembly prepares to resume sitting today after about three weeks recess, activities at the complex are beginning to come alive again.

This is because most of the lawmakers that used the break period to travel within and outside the country have returned to enable them commence work.

While they were away, the Assembly appeared deserted with scanty vehicles belonging to civil servants because even aides to the legislators equally had opportunity to attend to personal issues as they occasionally visited the office to check mails and other relevant information for onward transmission to their principals.

Within the period under review, visitors could be seen filing into the complex to keep in touch with the lawmakers. Some of the legislators were also seen visiting colleagues offices and discussing either about their trips or the issues that would appear on the order paper for today’s deliberation.

Also at the Assembly last Thursday was the Registrar of the Ignatius Ajuru College of Education, Port Harcourt, Mr Ikem Adiele, whose visit may not be unconnected with the petition brought to the House by Mrs Ayite Kalama against the authorities of the college over the appointment of Head Teacher at the Seashell Model Primary School.

The Tide gathered that the House Committee on Public Complaints and Petitions had invited the management of the college to appear before it to answer to allegation of anomalies perpetrated against the petitioner, Mrs Kalama.

Worthy of note is the fact that while the lawmakers were away, the leadership of the House engaged a contractor in civil works to continuously maintain the aesthetic beauty of the complex.

The workers were seen clearing the floor titles with modern machine facilities that hampered free movement on the top floor of the Assembly building.

The Tide also learnt that workers, lawmakers and visitors alike complained on the choice of working days for the exercise instead of weekends to carry out clearing of the floor titles.

Within the period under discussion, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Leyii Kwanee who travelled outside the country on official assignment when the budget was passed returned to the office to handle official matters and received visitors.

Precisely last Thursday, Hon. Kwanee received members of Journalists Alliance for the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria (JAPin) that paid him on advocacy visit.

The Deputy Speaker, who was also appointed the patron of the body, commended the group for their concern in championing the prevention of transmission of HIV/AIDS and promised to partner with them to spread the message.

However, while the House is set to begin sitting today, the Christmas decorations that dotted the complex, during the last Yuletide season are still visible all over the complex by February 2013.