Tashikalmah Hallah
12 October 2008
The atmosphere was tense on that fateful Thursday. Members of the House of Representatives were eager to dispose of what was on the Order Paper to enable the Speaker Dimeji Bankole read out what they had been waiting for.
The Speaker had announced, after singing the traditional prayers, that the committee's leadership would be announced. This heightened tension in the 'green chamber'.
Due to the anxiety, MPs staged a mild protest when the Speaker asked Members who had petitions to present them. There was a chorus shout of 'no' but bemused Dimeji Bankole recognised two MPs who had petitions from their constituencies.
Since July 24th, when the Speaker of the House of Representatives dissolved the standing committees, tension and anxiety had been running and reached its climax last Thursday when the names of the Chairmanship and Deputies of the standing committees were read out.
The selection process was done in deviation from the old tradition. Instead of the old conclave of principal officers, floor members were injected to add impetus into the process.
The zonal caucuses also played significant roles in choosing who became chair of a particular committee. It was not an all PDP affair. MPs from the opposition side said they were satisfied with the slots given to them, though they did not sign any Government of National Unity (GNU) agreement.
The Speaker said the House of Representatives, in the past 11 months, had been working in harmony and that there was no need to discriminate or marginalise any political party in the House.
"In the past 10 months, all parties have been united with Nigeria as number one on the agenda. With patriotism, we have managed to come together.
"My dear colleagues, may I remind us that today the last section of our prayer we said helped us to agree on only those things that will promote the interest of the nation. The exercise of the reconstitution of the leadership of the committees of the House of Representatives is now complete.
"We are not all geniuses, neither are we all fools. That basically means that there will be some winners and some losers. At the end of the day the House of Representatives should be the winner. The institution is first and foremost being the beneficiary. We did this exercise with all sense of fair play".
The Speaker while reading out the names said that 9 per cent of the chairmen and deputy chairmen were dropped, 27 per cent were new chairmen and deputies, 60 per cent were reshuffled from different committees and six percent retained seats as chairmen but not necessarily in the committees they headed before.
"Every single zone of PDP got an increase in quantity and quality. No zone lost out on quality and quantity. The exercise started last night 10 o'clock and ended about 10 minutes before we entered the chamber".
But some zones, particularly the South West, are protesting the committee's reconstitution as they have lost some key committees. The committees they lost included, NDDC, Ethics and Privileges and House Services and Foreign Affairs.
While the NDDC was zoned to the South South, Ethics and Privileges, House Services and Foreign Affairs are now in the North West.
Also, Edo State caucus is protesting the loss of Interior Committee to North East.
Rep Hembe Herman (PDP, Benue) rejected his appointment as Deputy Committee chairman on Donor Agency, citing personal reason.
Similarly, some known loyalists of former Speaker, Mrs Patricia Olubunmi Etteh were edged out from the committee chairmanship. Amongst them are Mr Festus Adegoke for Chairman Appropriation, Mrs Titilayo Akindahunsi (House Services), Mrs Florence Akinwale (Ethics and Privileges) Agboola Ajayi (NDDC) Tam Brisbe (Petroleum Upstream), West Idahosa (Internal Affairs) and Badamasi Kabir (Special Duties).
But Bankole, said that the selection of the committee chair was done "with all sense of fairness", adding that, "We are not all geniuses neither are we all fools".
Also, Bankole, while reconstituting the committees said Reps Farouk Lawan (PDP, Kano), John Halims Agoda (PDP, Delta) and former Speaker Pro-Tempore, Terngu Tsegba were offered 'juicy' committees but they all turned them down claiming that the interest of the House was paramount.
Sunday Trust learnt that Rep Njidda Ahmed Gella (PDP, Adamawa), Abdul Ahmed Ningi (PDP, Bauchi), Rep Chuma Nzeribe (PDP, Anambra), and Dr Garba Shehu Matazu were offered first right of refusal of their committees.
Apart from Ningi who joined the House in July, after a long period of legal struggle to claim his mandate, the rest were the arrowheads of the Integrity Group, which spearheaded the campaign for the resignation of Mrs Patricia Olubunmi Etteh and Alhaji Babangida Nguroje as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House respectively.
Mrs Etteh and her erstwhile Deputy were indicted by the David Idoko panel which investigated the N628.8m contract for the renovation of their official apartments as well as purchase of 12 exotic cars.
Supporters of the former Speaker accused the Integrity Group of executing a hatchet job as the former Speaker had refused their request to head committee of their choice. They had claimed that Rep Lawan had wanted to chair the committee on Appropriation but was given Education instead and John Halims Agoda had wanted the Committee on Petroleum.
Also, supporters of the former Speaker said that Mercy Almona-Isei, Abike Dabiri were refused to be appointed as chairman Committee on Gas and Media respectively hence they teamed up with Lawan to fight the former Speaker.
Critics of Bankole said that his public declaration that he offered 'what people termed juicy committee' to Farouk Lawan and Halims Agoda was admission that he has traded the committee chairmanship.
But Rep Farouk Lawan (PDP, Kano) and John Halims Agoda (PDP, Delta) said said they rejected the offer because they did not believe in 'juicy' committee before they can raise any issue of national outlook, adding that they can operate anywhere.
They also said that the Speaker did not offer them the 'juicy' committees as compensation for their roles in his emergence as Speaker of the House of Representatives but it was on merit.
Lawan in an interview confirmed that Bankole had offered him the chairmanship of the House committee on Appropriation, while Agoda was given the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) committee but they rejected because the Integrity Group was for the unity of the House and not for self aggrandisement.
According to him, "During the crisis that engulfed the House which led to the resignation of the former Speaker and the former Deputy Speaker, when we formed the Integrity Group and we insisted that we needed to redeem the image and the integrity of the House, the general blackmail that was used against some of us, particularly by those who were in the Etteh camp, was that we were doing it because we lost out in what they regarded then as juicy committees.
"As far as I'm concerned, there is no committee that is juicy or committee that is not juicy. It is simply a question of perception. Some people perceive some committees to be more important than others. To me, like I have always maintained, chairing a committee is a responsibility.
"There is no sector in this country that is not facing challenges and so what is important is for people who have been assigned responsibilities to examine the challenges facing those sectors and to try to play their own role in making positive contributions that will improve the sectors they have been assigned to oversight.
"In my own case, the impression was that I wanted to chair the Committee on Appropriations and I was doing what I was doing simply because Etteh did not appoint me to Chair the Committee on Appropriations.
"We were motivated by the desire to cleanse the House of Representatives to ensure that the credibility of the House was redeemed. That was why we did what we did. As far as we are concerned, none of us in the integrity group did what we did because we were fighting for committee membership or leadership.
"That is why when the opportunity came and the Speaker offered for me to go back on the Committee on Appropriations largely because of as you know, what has happened with regards to the 2008 budget.
"The people, who were appointed by Etteh to handle particularly the Committee on Appropriations, really did not do a good job in terms of managing the process for the passage of the 2008 appropriations. Basically, where we are today in terms of the implementation of the budget, in terms of the need by the executive to even seek for the amendment of that Act was largely because of the way and manner the budget was handled.
According to him, "the Speaker knowing fully well that I had a background as a former chairman of the Committee on Finance and the former chairman, Committee on Appropriations and particularly because when I chaired the Appropriation Committee, we did something that was never done by the National Assembly in the last nine years.
"We were able to pass the budget in December and President Obasanjo commenced implementation of the 2007 Appropriation Act by the first of January and these are things that are on record.
"To me, education is crucially important and one should commit his energy, his resources and his intellect in addressing the problems that are bedevilling this particular sector.
"I believe my colleague and friend; Halims Agoda was equally offered the Committee on NDDC which he equally turned down. Almost every member from the South-South is wishing for the opportunity to chair the Committee on NDDC."
Halims Agoda comes from Delta State which is one of the largest oil producing states in this country and he was offered the opportunity to chair that committee and Halims Agoda equally declined and decided to remain where he is.
"Even the former Speaker pro-tempore, (High chief Tevngu Tsegba) was offered an opportunity to change from the committee he was assigned to chair and he also felt that leadership, honour and integrity don't necessarily come based on perhaps the visibility or the public perception of the committee one is sharing.
We did what we did to change the leadership of the House because we were propelled by the concerns for the image and the integrity of the House to be changed. We were also motivated by the desire to have a more competent leadership which I believe Nigerians have seen now".
On the allegation that the offer was compensation for the role they played in the emergence of Dimeji Bankole as the Speaker, Lawan said "the question of maybe the Speaker offering that as a way of thanking me, I believe is neither here nor there. I think that he offered because he felt that the House needed my experience to handle that.
"But what I told him was the person who is currently chairing the Committee on Appropriations was also somebody I worked with closely. He was one of my sub-committee Chairs when I was Chairman of the Committee of Appropriations and so far, he was the highest ranking member on the Appropriations Committee; I felt that somebody like that can equally do the kind of work that I had done. I certainly have no monopoly of wisdom or experience or ideas".
Also, John Halims Agoda dismissed the allegation saying "It was by grace of God that I'm the highest ranking Member in the House of Representatives today. I see Nigeria as my constituent; I need not to be a chairman of any committee before I raise any issue that I feel is national in outlook.
I can operate anywhere, I need not be tagged as a chairman of one special committee because I am a member of the House of Representatives and that's what matters most. What is important is that the House has come out of it more united, more purposeful and with a charge to move on this great country".
On the uproar that greeted the announcement, Agoda said there was nothing like that, pointing out that the House of Representatives has been operating in unison and would continue to be adding that a Member does not need to be the chairman of a committee before he can operate.
"You would have seen the sign of rancour and crack instantly or immediately after the announcement but what we saw was unanimity of purpose, a very big family ready to work together as a united House with the sole purpose of moving our nation forward
Let me re-emphasise here that being the chairman of a specific committee is not why we are here.
"As a member of a House of Representatives that is hard working, you cut across all the committees and can raise issues in any committee but what matters most is to use the position given to you successfully to the benefit of the House, and that of the larger Nigerian society".
For Mohammed Ali Ndume (ANPP, Borno) leader of the opposition in the House there was fairness and transparency in the constitution of the standing committees pointing out that Bankole has honoured the pact with the opposition.
"Actually, as I said before, the issue is consideration of the opposition. This time around, the opposition has been considered. So, I am not particular about who becomes what, but I was more particular of getting a fair share of the committees and I think what we have is fair enough."
However, he said that the opposition would not be compromised on issues that affect the country. "You can trust me on that; you can really trust me on that. And that is why I was saying that I am not even particular who but what. So, by my nature which you know, I can't compromise, I cannot afford to compromise on certain issues".
Also his Deputy, Rep Suleiman Abdulrahanman Kawu said there was nothing untoward in the composition of the Committee pointing out that each geographical zone in the country was adequately favoured.
He commended the Speaker for taking the interest of the opposition members into consideration increasing the numbers of committees they chaired to over 100 per cent.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
