PDP chieftain offers way out of lingering Anambra crisis

FOR several months, anxiety and speculation reigned in the chambers of the House of Representatives. The lawmakers were concerned about how the House leadership was going to reconstitute the committees.

Each month after the dissolution of the committees, pockets of interest groups huddled in conspiracy over how to react of the reconstituted committees didnt favour them. The plots were directed against the leadership of the Lower House after it was speculated that that the Speaker Dimeji Bankole and his principal officers had gone abroad to put the committees together.

With the announcement by Bankole last week of the reconstitution of the 84 committees, the anxiety and speculations have given way to jubilation in some circles. The Speaker had expected the reactions and prepared for the backlash, which is traditional in the chamber after the composition or re-composition of committees.

Before the House went on recess in June this year, Bankole dissolved the 73 standing committees and announced that chairmanship of committees would no longer be dished out like contract papers. He insisted that some prerequisites must be used for picking the chairmen of committees. He believed that academic attainment, professional or legislative experience and the acceptability of the candidates by other members could play a role in picking anyone to lead any committee.

Since 1999, this is one reconstitution of committees that was carried without dire consequences. Former senate presidents (the late Evan Enwerem and Dr. Chuba Okadigbo to Anyim Pius Anyim, Adolphus Wabara and Ken Nnamani) - or Speakers of the House (Salisu Buhari Alhaji Umar Ghali NaAbba, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari and Mrs. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh) have had stories to tell in this regard.

The former presiding officers tasted the bitter pills associated with composition and reconstitution of committees, but in different ways. In the House, the first Speaker, Buhari, hardly had enough time to address the controversy generated by the committees he constituted, before the members eased him out of the House for perjury.

The wind of opposition was furious for NaAbba after the reconstitution of the committees, but his face off with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo attracted sympathy to him. Those opposing him over the committees were soon seen as Obasanjos foot soldiers in the House. NaAbba used every opportunity to show his disdain for them. During that period, West Idahosa was removed as chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum when it was clear that he was not in NaAbbas camp. John Halims Agoda, who was one of NaAbbas loyalists, inherited the chairmanship.

Aminu Bello Masari used political sagacity to tame the tempest over committee exercise. After assuming office in 2003, he increased the number of standing committees from the 63 he inherited from NaAbba to 73 and created many sub-committees. At the end of the day, every member was either a substantive chairman of a committee, deputy chairman or chairman of a sub-committee. The result was that nearly all the members had something to do.

This ploy of creating committee jobs for the boys aided him greatly. When some people raised the allegation of certificate forgery against him, members and beneficiaries of his committee restructuring stoutly rose to the challenge. They doused the tension in the chamber, and his tenure is regarded as one of the most peaceful so far in the House.

Ettehs reaction to complaints of unfair treatment in the composition of the committee was seen as arrogant. She entirely mistimed her approach to the reconstitution of the committees. When the list of the committees and chairmen was released, most ranking lawmakers against the grain of legislative wisdom, were relegated to the background as the selection committee headed by Etteh ignored competence and experience as requirements. As the anger seethed, she did not reconsider her position. Some members, particularly from the group of older lawmakers drew her attention to the obvious political oversight. Miffed, they searched of ways to nail her, until she shot herself in the foot with the contract scandal.

A similar scenario confronts Bankole, but he has adopted a tactical approach to the issue. To some extent, he has tried to distance himself from appointment of chairmen of committees. Instead, he initially democratised the process by asking the members of committees to choose who their chairmen should be based on their past records. Bankole adopted that approach based on complaints from members of different committees that some chairmen were running the committees as if it was their personal estates and reducing other members to mere spectators. There were claims that some chairmen kept information about trips outside the country to themselves until months after such trips were undertaken.

Some members of the House of Representatives, who were worried that the method being used by the Speaker may cost them their chairmanship positions, looked for ways of getting back at the leadership. They attempted using the Speakers trips abroad as an excuse. It was reported that some of those who felt aggrieved met abroad, particularly in the United States of America to plot their strategy. Their numbers increased when they allegedly joined forces with some loyalists of Etteh in the House.

According to sources, the first plan was to cause disaffection among the leadership of the House. They tried that shortly before the House went on the last recess. They alleged that there was a misunderstanding between the Speaker and his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada over money spent by Nafada when Bankole was away to the USA.

The former Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, Eziuche Ubani, had explained that there was no substance in the allegation. He described it as a deliberate attempt by mischief-makers who were unhappy with the level of co-operation and collaboration among the principal officers of the House to cause confusion. I want to state categorically that there is no rift in the leadership of the House. The principal officers and the members of the House are working in harmony to find the right solutions to the problems of this country. We are one united happy family and we have resolved that we will no longer be distracted. We are focused; the leadership is focused and enough is enough of mudslinging. The speaker and the deputy are working in harmony and there is nothing amiss, he said.

Aware that the committee exercise will generate some dust, the Speaker alerted his colleagues, on resumption from recess that those embarking on divisive propaganda against the House would likely intensify their campaign in the days ahead and charged the lawmakers to be fully equipped for such eventuality. He further charged them to remain united in the resolve to make laws for good governance of the country.

He said: My honourable colleagues, we have resumed plenary sessions at a critical period in our nations strive to consolidate democratic governance. In weeks and months ahead, Nigerians will expect us to rise to these challenges and exhibit leadership as true representatives of our people. We have decided to take our oversight functions exceedingly serious. We are taking on institutions in a manner in which we have never done. We are under no illusions as to the consequences of what we are doing. Get ready for more political shenanigans. Get ready for more attacks.

He deliberately heightened anxiety among his colleagues by deferring the announcement of committees for a week after the recess. When he eventually made the list public, he chose to do so towards the end of the plenary session. He told members that the exercise took the leadership 18 long hours and reminded them that there was no perfection in anything. Bankole was appealing to members to accept whatever shortcomings they might discover with the exercise with understanding, saying that we are not all geniuses and we all are not fools.

He appealed to members that no one should serve in more than five committees and asked those who might mistakenly find themselves in more than five committees to report to the leadership. Further highlighting the major ingredients of the exercise, the Speaker said about 91 per cent of the chairmen and deputies were dropped, 27 per cent are fresh while about 50 per cent were reshuffled and 60 per cent retained their positions.

The speaker also said that in the interest of harmony, more members of the opposition were appointed chairmen and deputy chairmen.

In the new dispensation, Ubani moves to Global Warming and Climate Change while Eseme Eyibo from Akwa Ibom takes over his committee.

Members of the Integrity Group such as Farouk Lawan and Agoda maintain their positions as chairmen of Education and Air Force respectively. But the Speaker explained that they rejected more prominent committees offered them.

Before the announcement, the Speaker had announced the appointment of Ayo Adeseun, John Enoh as chairmen of Appropriation and Finance committees respectively just as he asked the chairman of Rules and Business Committee, Ita Enang to continue in office. One surprising aspect of the changes is that of former chairman of the Committee on Interior, West Idahosa whose committee went to Jerry Manwe. Bethel Amadi, the former Chief Whip of the House under Etteh, now chairs the Aviation Committee, which was chaired by Independence Ogunnewe. The leadership of the chamber explained why the former speaker and the deputy, Seidu Nguroje were not given chairmanship positions. According to them, it would be demeaning to reduce the former presiding officers to chairmen of committees.

Members of the House have commended the exercise. Halims Agoda said this was the first time such re-composition of committees would take place without rancour. He called on his colleagues to work together as a united House with a view to moving the country forward.

He said that being the chairman of a committee in the House is not why we are here, but the ability as members to use our positions to better the cause of the Nigerian people.

On speculations of likely conflict following the reconstitution of the committees, Agoda stressed that there is now unanimity of purpose in the present composition of the House of Representatives.

He said: You would have seen reactions of rancor, an indication of a crack on the floor of the House immediately after the announcement was made, but this was absent, showing a vote of confidence on the leadership of the Speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole.