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ENUGU— Members of Enugu State House of Assembly, yesterday, boycotted a Citizens/Legislative Interactive Forum, even as attending constituents lamented numerous abandoned projects in their localities. Organized by a civil society group, Youths Education on Human Rights and Civic Responsibility, YEHRCR, the forum said the essence was to engage and share ideas with the lawmakers, particularly those from the rural areas who constitute majority of the electorate.
Participants at the forum complained of abandoned water, roads, health and other social service projects in their different local government areas and pleaded with the lawmakers to intervene in them.
Speaking on the absence of the state lawmakers at the forum which took place at the House of Assembly complex, Chairman House Committee on Information, Paul Nnajiofor said “We are not aware of the programme. There was no letter of invitation from the organisers; members were not informed or invited.”
The House member representing Enugu East rural constituency, who also is the House committee chairman on NGOs, SDGs and Economic development, Hon. Joseph Ugwamba told Vanguard that he came before the meeting and left to attend to his health challanges.
Ugwumba said he was not certain if other members of his committee were invited but that he directed the committee clerk, Chinedum Iloelunachi, to represent him. Project officer for the forum, Mr. Onyebuchi Igboke demanded that the lawmakers be present at the critical forum being organized in every quarter.
“We demand that the lawmakers should make themselves available in the next meeting because people from the rural areas are here and want to meet with their representatives and these people here are the ones they will go back to during election,” said Igboke. Clerk of the committee, Iloelunachi, pledged to take their complaints to the affected respective committees of the house, while urging them to also use the constituency offices of the lawmakers to engage their representatives.
