The names of former Speaker of the House of Reps, Yakubu Dogara and that of Rep Abdulmumin Jibrin were conspicuously missing on the standing committee chairmen list.
Mr. Dogara who is a member of the opposition PDP defeated present Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila in the 8th Assembly to emerge Speaker in a heated election.
But more stunning was that of Mr. Jibrin who was Director-General of the Femi Gbajabiamila/Ahmed Wase Campaign Organisation and Mr. Gbajabiamila’s main man leading up to the election.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila had announced the Chairmen of Standing Committees of the house on Thursday to the astonishment of many.
Jibrin has however said there is no hard feelings between him and the Speaker after Mr. Gbajabiamila paid him a visit at his home.
Walking Mr Speaker to his car after a surprise visit this morning. We have announced leadership of Committees and did our best to ensure merit and fairness. Mr Speaker went through extreme pressure but as usual, he showed courage. History will be kind to him. May God bless 9th A pic.twitter.com/4W4yEuKju9
— Abdulmumin Jibrin (@AbdulAbmJ) July 25, 2019
Gbajabiamila made the announcement on Thursday at the end of plenary in Abuja.
He said the Public Account Committee would be headed by Rep. Wole Oke, while Rep. Mouktar Aliyu will chair Committee on Appropriation adding that the Committee on Nigerian Army will be chaired by Rep. Abdulrazak Namdas.
For Banking and Finance Committee, Gbajabiamila announced Rep. Victor Nwokolo as chairman, while the Committee on Communication would be headed by Rep. Akin Adeyemi.
Gbajabiamila said that the Defense Committee would be headed Rep. Jimi Benson while Federal Judiciary Committee would be headed by Rep. Luke Onofiok.
The speaker announced Rep. James Faleke as Chairman of the Committee on Finance while the Committee on Interior would be led by Rep. Nasril Daura.
He said the Committee on Health Institutions would be led by Rep. Paschal Obi while Committee on Anti corruption would be headed by Rep. Nicholas Shehu.
The Committee on Solid Minerals would be headed by Rep Micheal Okon, while Committee on Sports would be headed by Rep. Olamide Osoba, the speaker said.
At the end of the announcement, members were seen in various group discussions while others thronged the speaker’s seat in what seemed to be a protest.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, on July 16, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi (APC-Plateau) member of the ad hoc Committee on Media and Publicity said the house would announce the 102 standing committees in September when it return from its two-months recess.
Only the House Service Committee was put in place to enable the house service check into the offices of members lacking electricity or furniture before the house returned from recess.
The speaker, however, announced the Standing Committees during the plenary on Thursday.
