Gbajabiamila who lost the June 9 speakership election to Dogara said the Speaker’s action breached a provision of the House Rules, Order 7 Rule 10, paragraph (a) which states that the Speaker “shall, in consultation with principal officers, appoint the chairmen and deputy chairmen from among the members on the committee.”
But in a swift rebuttal, Dogara’s office released two memos showing that the appointment of committee heads was jointly done by the leadership of the House comprising all principal officers at a scheduled meeting.
The first memo was a letter to all the nine principal officers (including Gbajabiamia) dated October 21, 2015
and signed by the chief of staff to the Speaker, Hon. Jerry Manwe, inviting them for consultations on the appointment of committee heads on Thursday, October 22, 2015.
The other memo was a list of attendance containing all nine principal officers, dated October 22 and issued after the meeting.
Gbajabiamila’s letter to Dogara, dated October 20, 2015, read: “You would recall that I have on several occasions, in the last four weeks, met with you both at home and your office to get an understanding and appreciation of what was going on with the composition and appointment of chairmen and deputy chairmen of House Committees.
“I did this because of the incessant rumour that same had been composed. On each occasion you assured me that nothing had been done. From all indications, however, it appears that an announcement of the chairmen and deputy chairmen is imminent and such may be done this week.
“Hon. Speaker, I acknowledge your right and prerogative to determine the leadership of the House Committees and I intend to work with you after such determination has been made. I intend, and have stated on many occasions privately and publicly, to work with you for the progress of the House.
However, I am constrained at this point to ask that due consideration is given to the provisions of our House Rules. Order 7 Rule 10, paragraph (a) of the House rules which states that the Speaker “shall, in consultation with principal officers, appoint the chairmen and deputy chairmen from among the members on the committee.
“On the role of the Majority/House Leader: Order 7 Rule 27 (2)c says that the leader of the House shall “liaise with committee chairmen and other functionaries of the House.
“Hon. Speaker, in the light of the foregoing provisions of our Rules and in line with parliamentary tradition world over, undermining the office of the Leader or any other principal officer would not strengthen the legislature or our democracy.
“The situation where any principal officer whether from the majority or minority party only knows of the appointment referred to above upon announcement on the floor will not augur well for the progress of this House.
“I have taken liberty to write to you on this matter for record purposes and in the hope that every principal officer in this House would be given his due as enshrined in our House Rules. Accept the assurances of my highest regards.”
LEADERSHIP recalls that when chairmen and deputy chairmen of the 96 Standing Committee were appointed last week, the governing APC got 48 while the opposition PDP got 45. In a further breakdown, APC got 55 deputy chairmen while the PDP caucus accounted for 39.
Of the 48 APC chairmen, 26 are Gbajabiamila’s supporters. Again, of 54 deputy chairmen 29 are from Gbajabiamila’s camp.
LEADERSHIP reports that pre-election agreements entered by Dogara with the opposition PDP caucus and some APC members before the closely contested June 9 speakership election shaped the composition of the 96 Standing Committees unveiled on Thursday October 22, 2015.
APC loyalists maintain that the composition and quality of the headships of the committees were skewed in favour of PDP members whose support helped Dogara become Speaker against Femi Gbajabiamila, who was supported by the governing party. They have accused the Speaker of weakening the APC caucus going by the composition of the committees’ headship.
Dogara inaugurates standing committees Monday.
Meanwhile, Dogara is scheduled to formally inaugurate the 96 Standing Committees on Monday, House spokesman, Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas told journalists yesterday.
Dogara met yesterday with all chairmen and their deputies in what was termed a “familiarisation meeting.” Gbajabiamila snubbed the meeting despite a formal invitation.
Namdas told journalists that Gbajabiamila was “properly consulted” in the appointment of heads of committees. He advised aggrieved members of the APC caucus to bury the hatchet and work towards the progress of the country.
Namdas said: “The House Leader was properly consulted in the composition of committees. The Speaker respects every member and he has never undermined any principal officer. Appointment into committees is the sole responsibility of the Speaker with consultation with the principal officers.
“As members, we are expected to work in the interest of Nigeria. The APC caucus met and resolved after the speakership election to bury the hatchet. I think we should abide by that.”
Reps urge armed forces to pay entitlements of deceased personnel.
The House of Representatives yesterday called on the federal government, the Nigerian Armed Forces and other law enforcement agencies to pay all entitlements and benefits to the families of their deceased personnel who died while fighting Boko Haram insurgents.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Johnson Agbonayinma at plenary yesterday.
Hon. Agbonayinma had noted that the armed forces and other security agencies in the country had lost their personnel in the fight to protect the territorial sovereignty of the nation, hence the need to pay the entitlements of the deceased to their families.
“It is standard practice for entitlements to be paid to the next of kin of any soldier who has died in the line of duty protecting the integrity of the nation,” he said.
He particularly cited a case of “Sergeant Moses Osarenkhoe 04NA/55/11557 who, until his death, was attached to the 55 Signal Command, Arakan Barracks, Apapa, Lagos, but was posted to the Armed Forces Special Force Battalion ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’, Maiduguri.”
Agbonayinma noted that many months after the death of the fallen soldiers, no payment of entitlements had been made to their families, leaving their spouses and children in difficult situations without any form of livelihood.
According to him, such delay in payment of entitlements of deceased military personnel could dampen the morale of the serving personnel at the warfront.
The motion was unanimously adopted by the House after it was put to question by the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.
Amaechi: Senators okay votes, proceedings of screening
*PDP senators refuse
The Senate yesterday approved the votes and proceedings of last Thursday’s confirmation of former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi and other ministerial nominees.
But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators refused to approve the votes and proceedings in protest of Rotimi Amaechi’s ministerial screening and confirmation.
Saraki had called on Senator Ibrahim Gobir to second the motion, before putting the question for the approval of the votes and proceedings.
While the members of the APC gave a voice approval, the PDP senators shouted “nay” to show that they were not part of the decision.
Saraki then ruled that the votes and proceedings had been approved, and proceeded with the business of the day as contained in the Order Paper.
It is the practice of the two chambers of the National Assembly to approve the decisions taken in the previous legislative day by approving its votes and proceedings before the business of the day begins.
The PDP senators had walked out of the chamber on Thursday in protest after members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) insisted on confirming the former governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, as a minister of the Federal Republic despite their opposition.
According to them, the Senate ought to have upheld the recommendation of a report by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitionswhich held that Amaechi should not be confirmed since a court case bordering on fraud and diversion of public funds was still pending.
With the memory of the event still fresh, a PDP senator, Peter Nwaoboshi, refused to second the motion for the adoption of votes and proceedings of Thursday after Senator Isiaka Adeleke had moved the motion.
Explaining why he refused to second the motion, Nwaoboshi said, “Mr President, I will not be able to second the motion because I was not at the plenary to know what was done.”
Credit: Leadership
No comments:
Post a Comment