Posted by By JAMES OJO, Abuja on
The marriage of convenience that binds the Dimeji Bankole-led House of Representatives may soon collapse. Last week, the Speaker tongue-lashed committee chairmen that he described as indolent and slowing down the pace of legislation.
The marriage of convenience that binds the Dimeji Bankole-led House of Representatives may soon collapse. Last week, the Speaker tongue-lashed committee chairmen that he described as indolent and slowing down the pace of legislation.
Twice, within 24 hours, Bankole threatened to wield the big stick on any chairman listed for presentation of reports but who was not present in the chambers in the impending reconstitution of the Standing Committees.
But reacting to the Speaker's outburst, some Committee Chairmen who spoke to Daily Sun at the weekend decried the allegations of non-performance levied against them by the Speaker.
They expressed worry that the Speaker chose a day that proceedings were transmitted live on the NTA to dress them down, whereas, such issues are normally tackled at executive session.
A committee chairman from one of the states in the South-South, who bared his mind on conditions of anonymity, faulted the approach of the Speaker to correct what was wrong in the House.
The top ranking member noted with disdain that washing the dirty linen of the House in the public as the Speaker did last week would open the flanks to get back at him by members that were not impressed by his style of ruling.
'Are you saying that the Speaker has not made enemies since he was elected? What about the interests that he displaced? Castigating members in the public is a wrong method of doing things. Was there a record of similar public condemnation of members in the past?" he asked.
Another top ranking member from the South-West frowned at the allegations of non-performance levied against committee chairmen, when the Speaker had refused to fund the committee as it should be.
'Go and ask any committee chairman, which of them received adequate fund to carry out the assignment given to them by the House. They come to us to complain that they were given assignment to hold public hearing but that no money was released to them," he said.
'I don't want to mention names, but this is the situation and that is why I think what the Speaker was not fair to members, after all, such an issue could raised when we have executive session," the member
said. Contacted on the rumblings over the Speaker's comments among the members, spokesman of the Speaker, Kayode Akinmade promised to get back, which he has not done.