Dogara Unveils 96 Committee Chairmen, Favours PDP as Gbajabiamila’s Supporters Marginalized

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, yesterday unveiled names of chairmen for the 96 standing committees with the North- Central, South-East and North-Central zones retaining the highest number of committees.

While the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) got 48 committee chairmen, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was given 46 slots while the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) got one each. For the deputy chairmen, the APC was assigned 55 slots, PDP 39 and APGA one committee.

The North-West led with 19 committee chairmen, closely followed by the South-East with 17, North-Central 16, South- South and South-West got 15 committees each while the North-East where the speaker hails from got 13.

For the first time in the history of the House, members from opposition parties got the same number of committee chairmen with the ruling party.

The development is, however, understandable considering the fact that Dogara made promises to the PDP and other opposition members for them to support his bid for the speakership. He emerged against the will of his party on June 9, beating the APC anointed candidate, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. There was absolute calm as Dogara read the leadership of the committees.

While close loyalists of the speaker were assigned key committees, supporters of the House leader, Gbajabiamila, lost out in the committee chairmanship.

Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano) who was the spokesperson of the Consolidation Group, the campaign team of Dogara, was named chairman of the appropriation committee; former spokesperson of the House, Hon. Zakari Mohammed was assigned to Basic Education; Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (Foreign Affairs) and Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba (Interior).

Meanwhile, close loyalists of Gbajabiamila lost out in the chairmanship appointments. Hon. Sani Abdul Mohammed, a ranking member who nominated Gbajabiamila for speaker, was neither made chairman nor deputy of any committee ditto Hon. Ali Madaki, a close loyalist of the leader, who got nothing.

The full list is as follows: Mohammed Monguno (Agric Production Services), Linus Okorie (Agric Colleges and Institutions), Adeyinka Ajayi (Aids, Loans and debts), Samson Okwu (Airforce), Rima Shawulu (Army), Nkiruika Onyejeocha (Aviation), Jones Onyerere (Banking and Currency), Yusuf Tajudeen (Capital Market), Peter Akpatason (Civil Societies and Development Partners) and Samuel Onuigbo (Climate Change), Sylvester Ogbaga (Commerce), Lawal Garba (Constituency Outreach), Kingsley Ibenyi (Cooperation and Integration), Ihama Omoregie (Culture and Tourism), James Faleke (Customs and Excise), Rita Orji (Diaspora), Simon Arabo (Delegated Legislation), Muktar Betara Aliyu (Defence), Aishatu Dukku (Electoral Matters), Satumari Jibrin (Emergency and Disaster Preparedness), Obinna Chidoka (Environment), Ossai Ossai (Ethics), Zaphania Jisalo (FCT Area Councils), Laori Kwamoti (FCT Judiciary), Herman Hembe (FCT), Ahmed Wase (Federal Character), Aminu Shagari (Federal Judiciary), Yunusa Ahmad Abubakar (FRSC), Babangida Ibrahin (Finance) and Gabriel Onyeweife (FOI and Government Reform).

Others are Oladele Kayode (Financial Crimes), Agbedi Frederick (Gas Resources), Hussein Suleiman Kanagiwa (Governmental Affairs), Betty Apiafi (Health Institutions), Chike Okafor (Health Services), David Ombugadu (HIV/AIDs), Mustapha Dawaki (Housing), Nasiru Baballe Ila (House Services), Sani Zorro (IDPs), Abubakar Moriki (Industry), Odendumi Olusegun Dokun (National Orientation), Mohammed Ogoshi (ICT), Olufemi Fakeye (Insurance), Jagaba Adams Jagaba (Interior) and Samul Ikon (Inter Parliamentary Relations).

The leadership also includes Razak Atunwa (Justice), Ezenwa Francis (Labour), Sabo Garba (Lake Chad), Amin Sani Isa (Land Transport), Timothy Golu (Legislative Budget), Abiodun Adeola (Legislative Compliance), Emmanuel Okon (Local Content), Mohammed Umaru Bago (Maritime), Abubakar Namdas (Media), Jephter Foigha (National Planning), Abdussamad Dasuki (Navy), Nicholas Mutu (NDDC), Hassan Shekarau (Pensions), Joseph Akinlaja (Petroleum Downstream), Victor Nwokolo (Petroleum Upstream), Haliru Jika (Police), Mohammed Mahmud (Population) and Patrick Asada (Ports and Water ways).

Also on the leadership are Daniel Effiong (Power), Ahmed Yerime (Privatisation), Kingsley Chinda (Public Accounts), Busayo Oke (Public Procurement), Uzoma Nkem Abonta (Public Petitions), Aminu Jaji (Public Safety Intelligence), Gogo Tamuno (Public Service Matters), Orker Jev (Rules and Business), Beni Lar (Science and Tech), Garba Datti Muhammed (Solid Minerals), Nasiru Zangon Daura (Special Duties), Goni Bukar Lawan (Sports), Idrisu Mohammad (Steel), Tijanni Jobe (Sustainable Development Goals) and Sahhed Fuabi (Telecommunications).

Others are Aminu Suleiman (Tertiary Education), Balogun Abiodun (Treaties and Agreements), Olatoye Temitope Sugar (Urban Development), Aliyu Ahman Pategi (Water Resources), Evelyn Oboro (Women in Parliament), Tobi Okechukwu (Works) and Segun Adekola Alexander (Youth Development).

Culled from New Telegraph