As the tussle for juicy committees in the 10th National Assembly heightens, OsunDailyNG understands there were about 70 standing committees from the previous 9th NASS.
This platform earlier reported that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, is set to announce some select committees of the Senate this week.
It was learned that the selection of the chairmanship of some committees was the reason why Akpabio met with President Bola Tinubu on Thursday.
Informed sources told The Punch that leadership and members of a few committees would be announced this week by the Senate President.
Some committees that may be named this week are Selection, Senate Services, and about four others.
The source said the selection of the few committees, especially that of the Selection Committee, was to constitute the formation of other committees.
However, OsunDailyNG reports that there were about 70 standing committees from the 9th NASS that lawmakers of the new assembly might be jostling for.
The benefits of being on a committee are said to manifest during oversight visits to ministries, departments, and agencies of government and also during budget defense by such MDAs.
Of the 70 committees, some of the juicy ones, according to The Punch, included Appropriations, which was chaired by Senator Jibrin Barau; Finance, Adeola; Public Accounts, Matthew Uroghide; Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Albert Bassey Akpan; Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Mohammed Nakudu; Works and Niger Delta Development Commission, Peter Nwaoboshi, who was later replaced by the Vice-Chairman, Amos Bulus; Defence (Army), Ndume; and Banking Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Uba Sani.
Others are Power, Gabriel Suswam; Tertiary Education and TETFUND, Ahmed Baba Kaita; Gas, James Manager; Communications, Oluremi Tinubu; Aviation, Smart Adeyemi, who Biodun Olujimi later replaced; and Independent National Electoral Commission, Kabiru Gaya.
Also, committees and their chairpersons in the 9th Senate included Agriculture and Productivity, Abdullahi Adamu, who was replaced by Yahaya Abdullahi when he left to become the Chairman of the APC; Air Force, Bala Ibn Na’allah; Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Suleiman Kwari; Capital Market, Ibikunle Amosun; and Cooperation and Integration in Africa and NEPAD, Chimaroke Nnamani.
Others are Culture and Tourism, Rochas Okorocha; Customs, Excise and Tariff, Francis Alimikhena; Defence, Aliyu Wamakko; Diaspora and NGOs, Ajibola Basiru; Drugs and Narcotics, Hezekiah Dimka; Ecology and Climate Change, Mohammed Hassan; Education (Basic and Secondary), Ibrahim Geidam; Employment, Labour and Productivity, Benjamin Uwajumogu; and Environment, Ike Ekweremadu.
Other committees and their presiding officers also included Establishment and Public Service, Ibrahim Shekarau; Ethics and Privileges, Ayo Akinyelure; FCT, Abubukar Kyari, who Smart Adeyemi later replaced; Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Danjuma Tella La’ah; FERMA, Gershom Bassey; Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Bulkachuwa; Health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe; Housing, Sam Egwu; ICT and Cybercrimes, Yakubu Oseni; INEC, Kabiru Gaya; Information and National Orientation, Abdullahi Sankara; and Interior, Kashim Shettima, who is now the Vice President.
Others were Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Godiya Akwashiki; Industry, the late Sikiru Osinowo, who was replaced by Tokunbo Abiru; Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Opeyemi Bamidele; Land Transport, Abdulfatai Buhari; Legislative Compliance, Adelere Oriolowo; Local Content, Teslim Folarin; Local and Foreign Debt, Clifford Ordia; Marine Transport, Danjuma Goje; Media and Public Affairs, Adedayo Adeyeye, who was later replaced by Ajibola Basiru; National Identity and Public Affairs, Adedayo Adeyeye, who was later replaced by Ajibola Basiru; National Identity and National Population, Saidu Alkali; National Planning and Economic Affairs, Olubunmi Adetunmbi; National Security and Intelligence, Ibrahim Gobir; Navy, George Sekibo; and Police Affairs, Halliru Jika.
.The remaining are Public Procurement, Shuaibu Lau; Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases, Chukwuka Utazi; Privatisation, Theodore Orji; Rules and Business, Sadiq Umar; Science and Technology, Uche Ekwunife; Senate Services, Musa Sani; Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation, Lawal Yahaya Gumau; Solid Minerals, Tanko Al-Makura; Special Duties, Yusuf Yusuf; Sports, Obinna Ogba; States and Local Governments, Olamilekan Mustapha; Sustainable Development Goals, Aisha Ahmed Dahiru; Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Baba Kaita; Trade and Investment, Rose Oko, who after her death was replaced by Seidu Alkali; Water Resources, Mandiya Bello; Women Affairs, Betty Apiafi; and Works, Adamu Aliero.
