BEVERLY HILLS, May 16, (THEWILL) – The special session convened by the House of Representatives on Monday to discuss the removal of subsidy from petrol and its attendant hike in price turned rowdy with members bitterly divided on whether or not the Minister of state for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu should be allowed to enter into the chamber.
The scheduled appearance of Kachikwu was to brief the lawmakers on the recent increase in the price of petrol. But when he arrived to honour the invitation, he was met with echoes of anger from lawmakers who started shouting “No! No! No!”
The House Leader, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila had moved a motion to let Kachikwu in, but many of his colleagues shouted him down. This sparked a disagreement which was clearly between the majority All Progressives Congress, APC, members and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The rowdy session prompted the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, to put the matter up for voice vote. When Dogara asked if the lawmakers should allow the minister to come him, majority of them thundered: “No! No!” nonetheless, the Speaker ruled that the “ayes” have it.
The lawmakers however continued with their chants even as journalists and other observers were asked to excuse the House few minutes into the commotion. This left only members of the House in the plenary to continue what they described as “executive session.”
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