Sokoto Assembly adopts new legislative calendar

The Sokoto State House of Assembly Thursday resumed sitting, after the 84-day-long legislative workers’ nation-wide strike and adopted a new legislative calendar.

According to the house, the new calendar begins from June 17 and ends on May 31, 2022, totaling 186 days.

The APC Leader of the house, Alhaji Bello Ambarura, who moved the motion for the new calendar, said it would help to address the effect of the strike on the activities of the assembly.

Ambarura said, “In view of the provision of Section 104 of the 1999 Constitution, a House of Assembly shall sit for a period not less than 181 days in a year.”

According to him, the first quarter holds from June 17 to Sept. 23.

He said the house would adjourn sitting on July 14 for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, return on Aug. 3 and go on recess between Sept. 23 and Oct. 18.
“Second quarter takes place from Oct. 19 to Dec. 23, while the recess holds from Dec. 24 to Jan. 11, 2022.

“Third quarter holds from Jan. 12 to Feb. 23, while the recess comes up between Feb. 24 and March 29.

“The fourth quarter commences on March 30 and ends on May 31, while the house adjourns from April 14 to May 12 and goes on recess from June 1 to June 15 to end the session,” Ambarura said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the motion was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers, who responded in the affirmative through a voice vote, after the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Achida, put the motion to vote.

NAN reports that the state assembly workers, who joined their counterparts across the country on March 23 for a nationwide strike, resumed work on Thursday.

The 84-day-long action by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria was suspended on Monday.

It had paralysed official and legislative activities in the state houses of assembly across the federation.