By Shola Abayomi.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, announced the names of chairmen of the 109 Standing Committees in the green chamber.
The announcement didn’t go down well with some ranking members of the House who felt shortchanged by the Speaker, as some of them approached him in protest.
The aggrieved members queried why the Director General of the Gbajabiamila/Wase campaign, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, was omitted from the committee list, while Hon. Abdullahi Bago, who contested against Gbajabiamila during the National Assembly poll was gifted a chairmanship slot.
Other ranking members whose names were excluded, include: Former Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, former Minority Leader, Hon. Leo Orgor, former Public Accounts Committee Chair, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, former chairman, Public Petition Committee, Hon. Uzonma Nkem Abonta among others.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) only got 21 Chairs and 30 Deputy Chairs, despite Gbajabiamila’s alleged promise of rewarding the PDP with 60 committee slots for throwing their weight behind him during the NASS election.
The Speaker, however appealed to members whose names were excluded from the chairmanship and deputy chairmanship slots to take it in good faith.
A ranking House member, Hon. Uzonma Nkem Abonta, whose name was also excluded, said the Speaker couldn’t have pleased everybody, since there are more people than the available slots.
See the names of chairmen of the 109 Standing Committees:
Hon. Wale Raji (APC-Lagos) was named as Chairman House Services; Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, Chairman Committee on Army; Hon. Aliyu Betara (APC-Borno) as Chairman House Committee on Appropriations.
Hon. Abiodun Faleke (APC-Lagos) was named as Chairman House Committee on Finance while Hon. Pascal Obi as chairman House Committee on Health Institutions; Hon. Luke Onofiok as chairman House Committee on Federal Judiciary; Hon. Akin Adeyemi as Chairman House Committee on Communications; Hon. Jimi Benson as Chairman, House Committee on Defence.
Hon. Wole Oke (PDP-Osun) was named as Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts while Hon. Abdullahi Bago (APC-Niger) who contested against Speaker Gbajabiamila was appointed Chairman House Committee on African Integration and Cooperation.
Hon. Jerry Alagbaso was appointed as Chairman Public Petitions; Hon. Nasir Daura as chairman House Committee on Interior; Hon. Aisha Dukku as Chairman House Committee on Electoral Matters; Hon. Yusuf Buba, chairman House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Hon. Tunji Ojo as chairman House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission; Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as Chairman House Committee on Land Transport; Hon. Johnson Ogbuma as chairman House Committee on Environment.
Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu as chairman House Committee on Maritime Administration & Education; Hon. Mohammed Jega as chairman House Committee on Internally Displaced Persons and Hon. Jonathan Gaza as chairman House Committee on Legislative Budget & Research.
Also, Hon. Yusuf Kila as Chairman House Committee on Customs; Hon. Hadija Bukar Ibrahim as chairman House Committee on North East Development Commission; while Hon. Munir Baba as chairman House Committee on Agricultural Production and Hon. Adamu Faggae as chairman House Committee on Constituency Outreach.
Others are: Hon. Nicholas Mutu, Chairman House Committee on Gas; Hon. Victor Nwokolo as Chairman House Committee on Banking & Currency; Hon. Bello Kumo as chairman House Committee on Police; Hon. Garba Datti as Chairman House Committee on Ports & Harbours; Hon. Ibrahim Babagida as Chairman House Committee on Capital Markets;
The list also has Hon. Abubakar Ado as chairman House Committee on Information; Hon. Mustapha Dawaki as Chairman House Committee on Housing; Hon. Yemi Adaramodu as Chairman House Committee on Youth Development; Hon. Olumide Osoba as chairman House Committee on Sports; Hon. Abdullahi Salami as chairman House Committee on Poverty Alleviation.
Hon. Kabir Idris as chairman House Committee on Civil Society; Hon. Femi Fakeye as chairman House Committee on Commerce; Hon. Ifeanyi Momah as chairman House Committee on FCT Judiciary; Hon. Abubakar Kabir as Chairman House Committee on Works; Hon. Benjamin Kalu as chairman House Committee on Media; Hon. Nwokocha Darlington as Chairman House Committee on Insurance.