The committees of the National Assembly have been repeatedly identified as the engine room of the legislature, the pivot upon which the oversight, law-making and confirmatory processes rest upon. Given the prime roles of the committees, it is not surprising that jostling for key committees or juicy committees as they are known, have often been laced with intrigues
The committees of the National Assembly have been repeatedly identified as the engine room of the legislature, the pivot upon which the oversight, law-making and confirmatory processes rest upon. Given the prime roles of the committees, it is not surprising that jostling for key committees or juicy committees as they are known, have often been laced with intrigues.
Relatedly, the committees would not be detached from the several successes and also, the odious spews that have emanated and besmirched the legislature. Following the inauguration of the National Assembly in June 2011 and the inauguration of separate leaderships for the Senate and the House of Representatives, the presiding officers took months to constitute the committees of the two chambers. At that time both presiding officers claimed to have put round pegs in round holes.
Senate President David Mark and Speaker Aminu Tambuwal followed the path of political exigency trodden by their predecessors with the proliferation of the committees. While the Senate came up with 57 committees making every senator either a committee chairman or vice-chairman, the House churned out 91 committees ensuring that every other member is either a chairman or vice-chairman. At mid term, the committees in the two chambers are brought under review.
SENATE
Even before Senator David Mark made his easy return as President of the Senate in June 2011, many returning senators and first time senators had commenced various schemes for juicy committee positions.
While many senators perfected their plots to acquire some juicy committees, Mark was reported to have guarded against subterranean moves by a few to get him into succumbing to their whims and caprices in the choice of committees.
Senator Mark obviously working with the benefit of experience, having steered the affairs of the previous Senate was able to take his time to put what he supposed were round pegs in round holes.
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