Posted by By BASHIR UMAR, Lucky Nwankwere, Abuja on
The Senate Tuesday reconstituted all its 54 working committees and created three new ones, bringing the total to 57.
The Senate Tuesday reconstituted all its 54 working committees and created three new ones, bringing the total to 57.
Senate President Ken Nnamani announced the new committee members, with the name of his predecessor Adolphus Wabara conspicuously missing.
Daily Sun investigations revealed that this development is unprecedented in the history of the Fourth Republic as ex-presidents of the senate were not only made members, they were even offered opportunity to choose which committee they wanted to belong.
Another bombshell dropped by the Senate president, was the impeachment of the minority deputy whip, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi (AD Lagos West).
Senator Nnamani explained that the impeached senator was 'overwhelmingly rejected" by 24 out of the 30 minority members of the senate during their meeting the previous day. Senate Afikuyomi has been replaced with Abiola Ajimobi (AD Oyo South)
Announcing the new Senate committees, Senator Nnamani told members that three new ones had to be carved out to relieve some over-burdened committees of their enormous responsibilities.
The new committees are those of Finance, Capital Markets and Media and Publicity which are now chaired by Senators Effiong Bob, Zik Sunday and Victor Ndoma Egba respectively.
Meanwhile expectations that Speaker Bello Masari of the House of Representatives would announce the composition and leadership of the special and standing committees of the House was dashed Tuesday, as the lawmakers arrived to resume the third legislative session.
Indeed, some of the apprehensive lawmakers had to rely on journalists covering the House to know if any list was prepared at all.
Masari's late announcement that he would meet the leadership of the House soon to determine the new leadership of all committees further dampened the morale of the lawmakers. Daily Sun, however, gathered that the list may be released Wednesday.
All the 72 committees with the exception of the selection committee headed by the Speaker were dissolved in his address to mark the end of the second session of the House on June 2, 2005.
Welcoming the members from their recess Tuesday, Masari reminded them of the need to tread the path of honour, dignity, integrity, and patriotism, which are the hallmarks of a healthy democratic culture.
'Permit me to observe that with the countdown to the year 2007, the temptation to veer from our responsibilities in the chamber may manifest. I, however, urge you to resist such temptation since the same attention is needed here, given the enormity of our responsibilities," he further challenged the members.
The House commended itself on the roles played in the process that led to the write-off of over $18 billion of foreign debts by the Paris Club.
A member of the House, Hon. Bashir Nadabo warned against appropriation of money to service the remaining debts without proper agreement with the Paris Club by the Federal Government.
He said there was need for the House to be educated by the Minister of Finance on the true position of the country's debt portfolio.