The New Experience Newspapers Online News Indepth, Analysis and More
Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has constituted 105
standing committees in a bid to ensure that the lower legislative chamber
discharges its duties effectively.
Highlights of the lawmakers that made the list as chairmen and deputy
chairmen indicate that Gbajabiamila settled for his key allies to oversee
key committees of the House.
Among the appointees are, Mukhtar Betara (Finance), James Faleke
(Finance), Musa Sarki Adar (Petroleum Upstream), Oluwole Oke (Public
Accounts), Babajimi Benson (Defence), Abdulrazak Namdas (Army), Wale Raji
(House Services), and Aminu Sulaiman (Tertiary Education).
Others in the list comprised members of the opposition Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) and Action Alliance (AA) who backed Gbajabiamila’s bid for the
House leadership.
They are, Beni Lar (Science and Technology), Nicholas Mutu (Gas
Resources), Lynda Ikpeazu (Maritime Safety, Education and Administration)
and Jerry Alagboso (Constituency Outreach).
Curiously, Abdulmumini Jibrin, who served as Director General of the
Gbajabiamila Campaign Organisation, was conspicuously missing from the list
of committee chairmen unveiled at the end of House plenary session presided
over by Gbajabiamila.
Jibrin, who served as Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation in the
Eighth House presided over by former Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, was at the
centre of the budget padding controversy that pitted the executive against
the legislative during President Muhammdu Buhari’s first term.
He was suspended over his role in the budget-padding saga, but returned
to the House to become Chairman, House Committee on Road Transportation,
after an Abuja Federal High court cleared him of any wrongdoing.