The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, has directed the Chairman of the House Committee on House Services, Lawrence Udoide, to ensure that the main Assembly Chamber is fully prepared for the resumption of plenary sessions.
The directive mandates that the chamber, located at the Assembly Complex along Udo Udoma Avenue, must be put in proper condition on or before Tuesday next week.
This directive follows a tense altercation on Tuesday between lawmakers and security operatives at the Government House gate.
The confrontation severely disrupted scheduled legislative activities, ultimately preventing members of the House from accessing their temporary sitting venue, which was located at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Chamber, at the Government House.
Addressing journalists shortly after the incident, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Jerry Otu, disclosed that the Speaker issued the mandate to expedite work on the permanent chamber to facilitate the immediate and permanent return of the lawmakers to the Assembly Complex.
Otu emphasized that the move is necessary to prevent future disruptions to the state’s legislative functions.
During the press briefing, Otu expressed deep concern over what he described as the “overzealous conduct” of the security personnel stationed at the Government House gate.
He alleged that the officers unjustly denied lawmakers access to the temporary chamber where the plenary session was scheduled to hold, sparking the standoff.
He further noted that this unfortunate development necessitated the leadership’s decisive action to hasten preparations at the Udo Udoma Avenue complex.
Meanwhile, official legislative business is set to get back on track, with the next plenary session of the House now officially scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
