The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, and some of his allies were conspicuously missing on Monday as the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, inaugurated 96 special and standing committees of the House.
His absence was not lost on the chambers, as it passed the message that the dispute in the House over the sharing of chairmanship positions of the committees had not been resolved.
However, all other principal officers of the House but one, were present. The House has 10 principal officers, eight of whom were present.
Those present were Dogara (APC); Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff Lasun (APC); Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa ( APC); Deputy House Leader, Mr. Buba Jibrin (APC); Deputy Whip, Mr. Pally Iriase (APC); Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor (PDP); Minority Whip, Mr. Yakubu Barde (PDP); and Deputy Whip, Binta Maigeri (PDP).
The Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. Chukwuma Onyeama (PDP), was said to be indisposed.
Over 240 of the 360-member legislature also took part in the inauguration, which was held in the chambers of the House.
The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, many former presiding and principal officers of the House as well as the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Salisu Maikasuwa, attended the session.
Dogara addressed the House and the visitors as he inaugurated the committees amid intermittent applause from members.
His speech was interrupted at least thrice with shouts of “Dogara,” “Dogara,” “Dogara.”
But, the Speaker warned committee chairmen and members that acts of corruption or “misconduct” would not be condoned.
He said an errant chairman or member would be promptly removed in addition to facing appropriate legal penalties.
As an arm of government charged with the constitutional responsibility of checking the excesses of the executive arm, Dogara observed that it would be unacceptable for lawmakers to engage in the same acts of corruption they were elected to expose.
No comments:
Post a Comment