Zakari Haruna - Kaduna
The Plateau State House of Assembly has come under criticism for planning a one-month foreign trip to Canada, worth nearly a million dollars, despite the state's financial difficulties and security challenges.
The trip, disguised as a workshop, has been condemned by concerned citizens who described it as a "wasteful and senseless" jamboree.
The 18 members and 8 support staff are set to embark on the trip, which has already reached an advanced stage of preparation, despite wise counsel against it. The citizens argued that the funds could be better used to address the state's pressing issues, such as decaying infrastructure, insecurity, poor healthcare, and educational crises.
The Plateau State University Bokkos is facing a crisis, with students protesting over sundry charges and levies, while the Assembly complex project has stalled due to non-payment to the contractor.
The House is also yet to pay off a two billion naira loan used to buy cars for members.
The citizens accused the State government of making the House of Assembly a "lame duck legislature" and called for alternative, cheaper, and more convenient avenues for capacity building, such as the National Assembly Legislative Institute Abuja, NIPSS, ASCON, and universities.
The concerned citizens urged patriotic citizens to rise against the proposed trip, describing it as a "heartbreaking and senseless decision" that portrays the House as insensitive to the state's challenges.
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