Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has named the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the 96 House Committees, with the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party sharing the broth.
PDP members in the House helped Dogara to the position ahead Femi Gbajabiamilla, who was endorsed by the leadership of the APC.
This may account for the good share of the chairmanship received by the opposition PDP.
While the ruling party APC heads 48 Committees, PDP is heading 45 while All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and the Social Democratic Party, SDP got one chairmanship slot each.
In the composition, the South heads 46 Committees while the North heads 50.
However, the chairman of the Niger Delta committee was not named. No reason was given for that.
The House also compensated the South East APC members who were completely sidelined in the composition of the principal officers in line with the spirit of federal character as the two members Chike Okafor and Austin Chukwukere were made chairman Healthcare Services and vice chairman Finance respectively.
Dogara’s allies got juicy Committees such as Appropriation, which is chaired by Abdulmunin Jibrin, Rima Shawulu Kwewum heads Army, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Aviation, Zakari Mohammed, Basic Education, Chike Okafor, Healthcare Services and Aminu Shehu Shagari Federal Judiciary.
Supporters of the House Leader, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila got committees including, Customs headed by James Faleke, and Rufa’i Chachangi as the Vice Chairman of the committee, Sani Zoro heads the newly created Internally Displaced Persons, IDP and Garba Muhammed as the committee chairman on Solid Minerals.
Those who retained the headships of their previous committees are Jones Onyeriri, Banking and Currency, Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, Aviation, Nnenna Ukeje, Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Munguno, Agriculture, Shehu Shagari, Judiciary, Nicholas Mutu, NDDC, and Aminu Suleiman, Education.
The new committees announced by the Speaker were Agricultural Colleges and Institutions chaired by Linus Okorie, Basic Education and Services, chaired byMuhammed Zakari, and Delegated Legislation which is headed by Simeon Arabo,
Others are FCT Judiciary, Laori Kwamoti, Health Institutions,Betty Apiafi, IDPs Refugees and Initiatives on North East, Headed by Sani Zoro Insurance and Actuarial Matters, Olufemi Fakeye, and Tertiary Education and Services which is chaired by Aminu Suleiman.
Because of the numerous institutions and parastatals in the health and education committees, the Speaker split them into two each for effective oversight.
