Our Reporter, Abuja
A civil society organisation, the Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD) Nigeria, has expressed deep concern over the alleged overseas travel of members of the Abia State House of Assembly under unclear circumstances.
In a statement issued in Umuahia on Saturday and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, FENRAD described the action as “unprecedented and troubling,” accusing the lawmakers of abandoning their legislative duties without due process or public notice.
The group recalled that the lawmakers had earlier declared their intention to travel to Abuja in solidarity with calls for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but reportedly travelled abroad instead.
“It is both troubling and unprecedented that a full complement of a sub-national legislature would vacate its seat of authority and relocate outside the country during an active legislative period without any formal communication to the people of Abia State,” the statement read in part.
FENRAD noted that there was no record of a House resolution declaring a recess, nor any public notice informing constituents about a suspension of the earlier protest resolution.
According to the rights group, such conduct amounts to “a serious breach of parliamentary ethics and a dereliction of duty by elected officials who owe their constituents both accountability and service.”
“The perceived abandonment of legislative responsibilities and abrupt international travel by several lawmakers — as evidenced by reports of large travel suitcases and the absence of a formal handover or recess process — undermines the sanctity of democratic governance and the rule of law in the state,” FENRAD stated.
The organisation demanded immediate clarification from the leadership of the House on the status of the protest earlier resolved in plenary and reasons for its apparent abandonment. It also called for a formal statement from the Speaker and Clerk of the Assembly on whether the House was officially on recess, and if so, under what constitutional provisions.
In addition, FENRAD urged the civil society community and relevant oversight agencies to investigate whether public funds were used for the alleged overseas trip.
The group further called on the lawmakers to renew their commitment to transparency, accountability, and democratic integrity.
“Public office is a public trust,” FENRAD reminded the legislators, warning that “legislative vacuum is not only unparliamentary but also undemocratic.”
