The Benue House of Assembly has threatened to call for the sacking of the Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr Tiza Imojime, if he fails to honor its invitation next week.
The House made this decision following the Commissioner's failure to appear before it today to answer questions regarding the N69 billion contract for the rehabilitation of the Wurukum-Air Force Base Road.
The Commissioner had sent a correspondence to the House informing them that he could not honor the invitation due to ill health.
However, in a swift response, the lawmakers condemned the Commissioner, stating that whenever he was due to appear before them, he had always used the excuse of being sick and therefore unable to attend.
The House resolved to give him one last opportunity to appear before the next plenary. Failing that, they will have no choice but to recommend his dismissal, enabling him to vacate the seat and take care of his seemingly prolonged illness.
In a related development, during Tuesday's plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Dajoh, the Assembly summoned the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Board to appear before it next Tuesday to brief the House on the World Bank-supported renovation of primary health centers in the state.
The Executive Secretary is also mandated to brief the House on the scope and structure of the World Bank support for the renovation of PHCs in the state, as well as provide detailed reports on all funds received, health centers renovated, and those marked for intervention.
This followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rt. Hon. Anthony Agom, who informed the House that the World Bank, in partnership with relevant federal and state authorities, is supporting the revitalization and renovation of primary health centers.
However, there is a lack of adequate information regarding the number of PHCs renovated, the criteria used for selecting benefiting facilities, the total funds received or allocated, the timeline for execution, and the current status of the supported projects.
He said that the absence of detailed and accessible information on the intervention could erode public trust and hinder the House from effectively fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, potentially leaving citizens without the critical health infrastructure they deserve.
