Delegates debate over toilet rolls, clinic
Delegates at the National Conference yesterday debated the unavailability of clinic and toilet rolls in both the female and male toilets.
Immediately the National Prayer was taken and delegates were getting set for the day’s business, former Anambra State Governor Virgy Etiaba addressed the house complaining about lack of toilets rolls for two days running.
However, after Etiaba finished, fellow delegates objected to the matter being brought to the public, advising that it would have been better if she had taken her complaint privately to the conference secretariat.
Dr Junaid Muhammed from Kano also observed that there was no clinic to attend to the delegates during emergency. He said that a day after late AIG Hamman Misau died, he went to look for a clinic inside the complex but there was none.
“The only one we got was a staff clinic and they said they were not instructed to attend to delegates. He said there is only one police ambulance parked at the entrance. I don’t even know whether it is equipped,” he said.
Narrating her ordeal to the plenary, Etiaba said “yesterday I visited the toilet, there was nowhere to be found toilet rolls and again this morning I went in there, the same observation. Then I called the workers there and asked them and they told me that they were not given any.
“Now I tried to find out whether we were being marginalised, I told one of them to go into the toilet of the men and get me toilet roll and he confirmed also that there was none.
“So, I am pleading that care must be taken. It is not enough to go on the pages of papers to announce the amount of money that is being expended on us but what we are after is to make sure that we have good health,” she said.
But a delegate from Edo Professor Eddy Erhagbe cautioned that the conference is being televised globally, advising delegates to “lay complaints behind the scenes.”
On issue of clinic, Chairman of the conference Justice Idris Kutigi said the secretariat had an understanding with NJI to allow its staff clinic to attend to delegates. He also promised to raise the toilet roll matter with the Secretary Valerie Azinge, who had not arrived when the matter was discussed.