Legislative activities like consideration of bills, motions and reports were on Tuesday cancelled in the Senate and the House of Representatives as both chambers of the National Assembly adjourned plenary to Wednesday in honour of a deceased member of the House of Representatives, Yuguda Hassan Kila.
Kila, who represented Gwaram Federal Constituency of Jigawa State from 2015 to 2021, was until his death the chairman, House Committee on Customs.
The lawmaker died last Thursday at the National Hospital, Abuja after an undisclosed ailment but his death was officially announced at plenary on Tuesday after which there was an adjournment in line with parliamentary tradition.
At the red chamber, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, while announcing the death of the lawmaker, expressed shock and sadness, saying he would be missed by all his colleagues in the National Assembly.
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The senators observed a minute silence after which a motion for adjournment was moved by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, and seconded by the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
In the Green Chamber, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, who announced Kila’s demise, expressed sadness that the late lawmaker had been ill and was recovering before his death.
Gbajabiamila said, ”It’s a personal loss to me because Kila has been with me for years, from 2015 till date. I saw him a week before he passed on and we were hoping he would get better and indeed he was until that fateful day. In fact he was recovering from the ICU but unfortunately, The Almighty Allah did what only he can do. Our condolences are to the family, the people of Jigawa and to us members of the House of Representatives.
”The day he passed away his wife was there and she reminded me that Hon. Kila called me on the phone three weeks ago and she was sitting right next to him, and he said to me, Hon. Speaker I just called to say goodbye. When he put the phone down she was upset with him and asked him why he would say such a thing to the Speaker. My guess is only him at that time knew why.”
Speaking on behalf of Jigawa Caucus in the House, Abubakar Fulata described the late Kila as an accomplished politician, elder statesman, father of peace and tolerance and regreted that the House has lost an elder statesman, a man of courage and peace.
He said the House will continue to remember Kila for his immense contributions towards the success of the Nigerian House of Representatives.
On his part, Leke Abejide, Deputy House Chairman of the Committee on Customs and Excise recalled with sadness the closeness he had with Kila as his chairman, colleague, friend and elder brother, describing him as a highly competent boss, colleague and father.
Majority Leader of the House, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa while paying tributes to the late lawmaker, said the House has lost someone whose shoes will be difficult to fill and extended the condolences of the entire membership of the House to the family Kila left behind and prayed for the repose of his soul.
A prayer was said in memory of the deceased parliamentarian and a minute silence was also observed in his honour, after which the House adjourned plenary till Wednesday, following a motion moved by the Leader of the House, Ado-Doguwa.
