Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday 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.
