The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara on Wednesday ordered all committees still carrying out investigations that have not been concluded to be forfeited to the Committee of the Whole immediately.
The Speaker apparently disturbed by the deliberate refusal to his earlier directive 5weeks ago that such committees should submit their reports within one week had no choice than to give the directive.
This development was sequel to a point of order raised by Rep Ossai Nicholas Ossai, PDP, Delta citing Order 17 Rule 3 and Order 10 that the issue should be re-visited as it affects the tenets of the 8th Assembly Legislative Agenda.
Ossai in his submission told the House that “5weeks ago Mr. Speaker you ordered that committees that had not submitted their reports in the last one year should submit their reports or forfeit their rights to such bills.
“Mr. Speaker five weeks after nothing has happened and this runs contrary to the legislative agenda of this 8th House which you have been championing.
“These committees were mandated to submit their reports within 30days according to our House Rules but six months and even one year after they are yet to submit reports.
He explained that some of the bills are more than a year old some are even two years old adding that” we’ll be failing in our duties if nothing is done.
At this point, the Speaker called on the Chairman Rules and Business, Rep Orker Jev, APC, Benue, to give a narrative to the House on the directive he gave five weeks ago.
Jev told the House that “we complied with the directive and letters were sent to all the affected committees but they complained of spending money to conduct public hearings so we gave them sometime.
“We gave them time because if we don’t, the House will be losing money and if you remember I was the one that brought it to the knowledge of the House,” Jev said.
In his ruling, Dogara ordered that his earlier directive five weeks ago should be effected. Recall that on October 11 chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep Emmanuel Oker-Jev informed the House that a total of 162 committees’ investigative reports were yet to be laid before the House, more than two years after they were constituted.
Vanguard findings, however, revealed that the adhoc committees which had the maximum time line of 8 weeks to conclude their assignments were major culprits.
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