By Marie-Therese Nanlong – Jos

Unidentified people have vandalized the complex of the Plateau State House of Assembly, destroying property worth yet to be ascertained sum of Naira.

This is even as the Yakubu Sanda faction held plenary despite the destruction that took place in the chamber.

Vanguard visited the complex which has broken glasses, upturned furniture, and destroyed air conditioners, among other items littering the floor.

At an emergency plenary held a few minutes past noon, 12 members including the factional Speaker, Yakubu Sanda were in attendance.

Sanda who presided over the plenary in 25 minutes said he had among other items on the Order Paper, the screening of the Chairman and members of Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASIEC, as communicated to them by the State Governor, Simon Lalong as well as the consideration of the 2022 appropriation bill.

Before the discussion, the Majority Leader, Naanlong Daniel said he “received an apology from Hon. Philip Dasun, he said he is with us. I could not get Hon. Abok Ayuba and Hon. Henry Longs on phone, I don’t know where they are but the Minority Leader said he traveled to the village, hopefully, he will join us next week.”

The House called for the stand down of the screening saying the”House was not conducive.” Also, deliberations on the appropriation bill was stood down. Members in plenary through a motion raised by the Majority Leader, appealed that the House of Assembly be relocated to the Old Government House in Rayfield so that legislative businesses can continue pending the time the Chamber would be fixed.

It would be recalled that the Police in conjunction with local vigilante and neighborhood watch had been keeping vigil at the complex and questions are asked about the identity of those who vandalized the House.

The State Commissioner of Police, Bartholomew Onyeka when contacted said “I am not competent to speak on this matter.”

Meanwhile, in another development, the Ayuba led faction in a press text endorsed by “Rt. Hon. Abok Ayuba (APC) – Speaker – Jos East, Hon. Peter Gyendeng (PDP) – Minority Leader – Barkin Ladi, Hon. Philip Dasun (APC) – Deputy Majority Leader – Pankshin North, Hon. Solhchang Zingtim (PDP) – Minority Whip – Langtang South, Hon. (Mrs.) Esther Dusu (PDP) – Jos North West, Hon. Bala Fwangje (PDP) – Mangu South, Hon. Musa Avia (PDP) – Rukuba Irigwe, Hon. Henry Longs (APC) – Pankshin South, Hon. From Gwottson (PDP) – Jos South, Hon. Timothy Dantong (PDP) – Riyom,Hon. Pirfa Tyem (PDP) – Langtang North – North, Hon. Daniel Listick (PDP) – Langtang North – Central,” faulted the Sanda faction for flouting not only the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but the Standing Orders of the House.

The text issued before the plenary reads in part, “We the undersigned wonder why Hon. Naanlong Daniel struggles to explain due process for removal of presiding officers in State Houses of Assembly as enshrined in Section 92(2c) of the 1999 CFRN as altered… We want to give the general public notice that there is a calculated attempt to vandalize PLHA by some paid hoodlums with the intention to use it as an excuse to provide another venue for plenary that cannot be accessibly by 12 of us. The illegal Speaker under the influence of Government has insisted to hold plenary today Thursday 12th November, 2021. We shall soon draw the attention of Federal Ministry of Finance and World Bank to know that due process is not being followed in the 2022 Plateau State Government Budget…”