Benue Assembly begins 5-week recess

The Benue House of Assembly on Thursday began a five-week recess to mark the end of the second sitting of the fourth legislative session of the ninth assembly.

Making way for the break, Majority Leader, Mr Damian Cheme, stressed the need for the house to go on recess having exhausted the second sitting of the fourth legislative session.

Addressing his colleagues, the Speaker, Mr Titus Uba, said during the period, the house made some modest achievements which included passage of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bills.

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It also approved request by Gov, Samuel Ortom for the state and local government councils to access funds for the development of the state as well as passage of 2023 budget.

Uba, however, said that the house recorded one of its lowest legislative output for a single legislative sitting since inauguration in 2019.

The speaker who is contesting the seat of the state governor, attributed the low output of the house to the beginning of the transition which he said is usually characterised by the commencement of electioneering, preparatory to the general elections.

He promised that the house would work hard for better legislative achievement when it resumed from the recess.

Two bills from the executive, a law to amend the state council of chiefs and traditional councils law, 2016 and a law to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2019, were presented to the house.