Posted by By JAMES OJO, Abuja on
Ahead of the reconstitution of the 72 Standing Committees of the House of Representatives, indications have emerged that the old order of sharing chairmanship positions would be altered.
Ahead of the reconstitution of the 72 Standing Committees of the House of Representatives, indications have emerged that the old order of sharing chairmanship positions would be altered.
Speaker Dimeji Bankole sacked the standing committees before the House went on annual vacation, leaving only three committees, the Rules and Business, Appropriation and Finance.
The dissolution had forced many members from going for the holiday, as majority stayed behind to pull strings for consideration, although most of the lawmakers stayed away from the National Assembly complex.
It was gathered from the kitchen cabinet of the Speaker, mandated to stay behind in Abuja, that the leadership had concluded that the old arrangement must give way for a new zonal arrangement.
'You know some members fought the last Speaker to pave way for the incumbent and the leadership felt that such category of members, particularly, those who have no committee should be given one and that competent should be compensated,' a staunch supporter of the Speaker revealed.
According to him, the fact that some committees would be moved from their present zones was enough indication that when the new list of committee chairmen is released, there would be changes.
As at yesterday, Daily Sun learnt that the leadership was still tinkering with the list in view of recent media hype on the purchase of 407 Peugeot cars for members with a view to unseat the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.
Having succeeded in dousing the tension generated over the car, the leadership, it was gathered, went back to the new list of committee chairmen and deputy chairmen, to ensure that long-neglected loyalists of Dimeji Bankole are not left out.
Sources also revealed that the leadership viewed the renewed attempt to rubbish the Speaker over the procurement of official cars for the members, as a ploy by those who saw the handwriting that they would be dropped as chairmen and deputy to harass the Speaker.
'We are quite aware that those who already saw the handwritings on the wall that they are going to lose their chairmanship seat for lack of merit are behind the onslaught in the media and are working underground to paint the leadership black.
'I want to warn them that the leadership is equal to the task and we shall surprise them. Those behind the plot had never been with the leadership in terms of loyalty. We know them and we shall not allow them to derail the progressive train of Bankole.'