Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has
announced a minor reshuffle of the committee chairpersons in the green chamber.
During the plenary on Wednesday, the speaker reassigned Mike
Etaba, who represents the Obubra/Etung federal constituency of Cross River,
from the committee on public petitions to chair the committee on environment.
Bitrus Laori, the lawmaker from Adamawa, who chaired the
committee on cooperation and integration in Africa, has been made the
chairperson of the committee on public petitions.
Billy Osawaru, a lawmaker from Edo, who deputised the
chairperson of the committee on poverty alleviation, has been appointed to
oversee the committee on cooperation and integration in Africa.
Etaba’s redeployment comes days after the committee on
public petitions summoned Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, and Dauda Lawal,
his Zamfara counterpart, over the political crises in their respective state
legislatures.
The committee also invited the speakers and leadership of
both assemblies.
The panel issued the summons following a petition filed by
the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, a civil society organisation (CSO).
The governors and speakers were asked to explain why the
house of representatives should not take over the functions of the assemblies.
The investigative hearing was scheduled for May 8.
The governors had said they would not honour the summons,
saying the federal parliament lacked the power to summon them.
Some civil society organisations (CSOs) had also kicked
against the summons, noting that the committee cannot invite governors, given
that they are protected by immunity and are accountable to their respective
state assemblies.
On Wednesday, the Conference of Speakers of State
Legislatures of Nigeria faulted the summons.
Adebo Ogundoyin, chairman of the Conference of Speakers
State Legislatures of Nigeria, described the summons as an “overreach of
constitutional powers” and a “direct challenge” to Nigeria’s federal structure
and the autonomy of state legislatures.
He said the national assembly’s investigative and oversight
powers under sections 88 and 89 of the constitution are “limited to federal
matters”.
Ogundoyin added that the state legislature is an independent
arm of government, and presiding officers cannot be summoned over internal
legislative issues — except where a “clear constitutional or federal matter” is
involved.
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