15th June, 2010
The rumour that the Lagos State government declared June 14 as a public holiday to mark June 12 disrupted activities at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the plenary session recorded a low turnout of lawmakers.
The Sergeant at Arm announced the arrival of the Speaker, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, who presided over the business of the day, at 2.55 p.m.
NAN reports that none of the bills on the order paper was debated and that the Majority Leader, Mr Kolawole Taiwo, moved a motion for adjournment of the sitting.
“In view of the scanty nature of the chamber because most of our members are not around due to the confusion over the June 12 holiday, I want to move that we step down the activities on the order paper and adjourn sitting till Thursday June 17,†Taiwo moved.
The motion was supported by Mrs Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet (Oshodi Isolo 2).
The Majority Leader, told NAN later that it was not the fault of the lawmakers that they did not show up for duty.
“We (lawmakers) were all affected in the confusion. I also thought there was holiday until somebody called me on phone to inform me that there was none,†Taiwo said.
According to him, the executive arm of government is supposed to declare a holiday to mark June 12 and send memos to its agencies accordingly.
He blamed the situation on the fact that the Clerk of the House, Mr Adewale Olatunji, who transmits information from the executive arm to the Assembly, was away to South Africa.