Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
In the aftermath of the announcement of chairmen and deputy chairmen of House of Representatives standing committees, the House has said that there is no rift between the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila and former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin.
A member of the House Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yusuf Gagdi, who stated this, on Friday, at a press briefing, in Abuja, said contrary to speculation, Gbajabiamila and Jibrin were working together for the good of the House.
The speaker had left out Jibrin in the appointment of chairmanship and deputy chairmanship of standing committees, thereby feeling speculations that Gbajabiamila might have fallen out with the latter, who was the director-general of his campaign during the contest the speakership seat.
However, Gagdi said that Jibrin is “perhaps” being primed for something bigger, outside the National Assembly, hence he was not among those appointed as chairmen or deputy chairmen of committees.
“Regarding to the Director-General of his campaign, Jibrin Abdulmumin, there is nothing between Jibrin Abdulmumin and Mr Speaker. They are working together and perhaps Mr Jibrin is going to be considered for something bigger than committee (chairmanship) in the National Assembly,” he stated.
Furthermore, the lawmaker explained that despite the appointment of chairmen and deputy chairmen of standing committees, the various Ad-hoc Committees set up by the speaker would continue to function, until they dispose of the various issues referred to them.
He added that the standing committees would be inaugurated when the House resumes from its recess in September, before they can begin to function. Gagdi noted that by then, members of the various standing committees would have been announced.
According to him, “yesterday, the speaker read the names of standing committees of the House of Representatives, 105 committees plus other special committees, put together gives 109 committees. The standing committees are going to be inaugurated after we resumed from recess.
“Definitely, there is no conflict between the Ad-hoc Committees and the standing committees. The committees are put on place until they are inaugurated before they function.
“The gap between now and the moment of inauguration is to prepare chairmen and deputy chairmen of standing committees to have first-hand information on ministries and agencies allocated to them to supervise. The announcement of members of the committees is yet to be made. Until that is done, I don’t think the responsibilities of the standing committees is going to start.”