By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
Ilorin
It was shock and disbelief at the Kwara state House of Assembly yesterday when legislators who converged to consider final passage of the 2015 appropriation bill were greeted with the announcement of death of the chairman of the Committee on appropriate Finance and Aion, Alhaji Suleiman Sinaboro.
The deceased was to present the report of his committee to the House yesterday having been unable to do so on Tuesday due to a brief illness.
But the news of his demise yesterday again stalled the second attempt by the lawmakers to consider the committee’s report for final passage.
Some lawmakers had converged at the Assembly complex where they were expected to consider the final passage of the 2015 budget when the news of Sinaboro filtered in.
Proceedings at the floor of consequently suspended when the news of the death of the deceased lawmaker broke out.
The announcement of the deceased’s demise threw the entire assembly complex into shock.
Some female legislators as well as workers in the complex were seen shedding tears as the news broke.
The information was brought to the notice of the lawmakers while the Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Razaq Atunwa, was on his way to the House.
A visibly disturbed Atunwa immediately conveyed a meeting of members inside the speaker’s lounge before the lawmakers formally took their seats.
Addressing the plenary, Atunwa described late Sunaboro as “a committed member,” who exhibited diligence in his duties never compromised on his integrity.
The speaker recalled that the deceased supervised the budget sector of the legislators’s duties admirably and was never late in submitting his reports.
The speaker immediately ordered the suspension of the continuation of the presentation of report of 2015 budget which commenced on Tuesday to enable members take part in the burial programme for the deceased.
The House later adjourned plenary till February 24, in honour of the late member.
