The House of Representatives has called for an emergency plenary session to discuss “urgent national issues.”
The clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, in a statement on Saturday, said the lawmakers will hold the session on Monday. He did not state the subject of discussion.
“This is to inform all Hon Members, staff, media and the general public that the House hereby recalls all Hon. Members for an emergency plenary session against Monday, 9th May, 2022 at 2:00pm. It is particularly intended to discuss critical issues of national importance. The House regrets any inconvenience this short notice would have caused,” the terse notice reads.
Normally, the House sits three days in a week – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
However, in the last couple of weeks, the lawmakers in the lower chamber have not been holding plenary sessions. They claim that the chamber is being renovated.
Last week, the House held a session to consider some executive bills.
It is, however, suspected that their failure to sit is not unconnected with the ongoing pre-election activities of the political parties, as several of the lawmakers are involved in the electoral process.
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus of the House has called on President Muhamadu Buhari to avert the planned shutdown of airline operations by local operators.
The caucus made the call on Saturday, in a statement by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu.
Airline operators had on Friday in a letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority said they will halt operations from Monday due to the high increase in aviation fuel price.
The letter was jointly signed by the President of the Airline Operators Association, Serina Abdulmunaf, and the Chief Executive Officers of eight domestic airline operators, including Mfon Udom, CEO, Ibom Air.
“Mr President should critically address the crisis in the petroleum industry by reviewing the counter-productive policies and curbing the corruption in his administration so as to save our national economy from collapse under his watch,” Mr Elumelu said.
However, Ibom Air in its statement on Saturday, said its inclusion as a “signatory” to the statement released by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) must have derived from its active membership of the AON.
In March, the House of Representatives had brokered an agreement between airline operators, aviation fuel marketers and aviation authorities.
Nnaji Nnolim (PDP, Enugu), the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, had moved a motion, urging the House to intervene to avoid a crisis in the sector.
In the meeting chaired by the Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria reached an agreement to forestall the shutdown.
The two unions agreed to peg the price of Aviation Turbine Kerosene also known as Jet A1 fuel at N500 per litre from the N630, the price at the time.