Makurdi.The Benue State House of Assembly has been shut indefinitely to allow members and staff to undergo COVID-19 screening and treatment.
The spokesman of the Assembly and House Committee Chairman on Information and Orientation Mr. Tertsea Gbishe who made this known yesterday in Makurdi said the decision to shut the Assembly was arrived at following the sudden spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
According to him, “given the nature of the assembly’s functions which requires that members interact with their constituents on one hand and top government functionaries in Ministries Departments and Agencies, MDAs, on the other, it is important to undertake regular COVID-19 test because of the exposure of members while carrying out their constitutional responsibilities.”
He said plenary would resume as soon as the leadership of the house resolved that it was safe for members and staff to resume at their duty posts.
The lawmaker commended the State’s Action Committee on COVID-19 led by the Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu for taking steps to contain the spread of the virus in the state.
He urged the committee to take steps to ensure that test centres were easily available and accessible to the people of the state who would want their samples tested.
While enjoining the people of the state to strictly observe all COVID-19 protocols to remain safe, the lawmaker wished all those already infected in the state speedy recovery stressing that being positive with the virus was not a death sentence
