Saraki waves Olive branch, appoints committee heads

Finally for the very first time since 2015, The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, bowed to the wish of the Senate Unity Forum on the composition of committees in the upper chamber.

The embattled Senate President, on Thursday, conceded the chairmanship of committees that lawmakers considered to be “juicy” to some members of the SUF, who, in 2015, opposed his candidacy and supported Senator Ahmed Lawan.

Members of the forum, who got the chairmanship of the “juicy committees”, included Senator Kabir Marafa, who became the chairman of the Petroleum Resources Committee (Downstream) from the National Identity and National Population Committee.

Bukola Saraki

Also, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, was moved from Women Affairs Committee to the Committee on the Environment. Senator Sulieman Hukunyi, who was one of the senators, who wrote a petition that led to the Senate forgery suit, leading to the prosecution of Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, and two others, now heads the national identity committee.

Saraki and Ekweremadu are currently facing trial at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on forgery of the Senate Rules used for the election of the presiding officers of the upper chamber in June 2015. Also, the Senate President is being tried at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for false and anticipatory declaration of assets.

Other chairmen of committees are Senator Adamu Aliero (Aviation); Hope Uzodinma (Customs); Barau Jubril (Tertiary Institutions) and Binta Masi (Women Affairs).

The Public Procurement Committee now has as its chairman Senator Joshua Dariye, while Senator James Manager, who was chairman of the Committee on Power, has been moved to the Solid Minerals committee.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who was chairman, Committee on Information and National Orientation, has been moved to the Committee on Power, while Adokwe Suleiman is chairman, Information Committee.

The newly created Legislative Compliance Committee is to be headed by Senator Babajide Omoworare, who used to head the Rules and Business Committee, while the latter is to be headed by Senator Baba Garbai.

The Federal Character Committee has Senator Tijani Kaura as its new chairman. The senators, who were made vice-chairmen of committees, are Ahmed Ogembe (Marine Transport); Ovie Omo Agege, (Land Transport); and Philip Aduda (Downstream Petroleum).

Although the Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, said the latest arrangement was aimed at strengthening the legislative functions of the committees, our correspondents learnt that the action was taken following two separate meetings on Monday between President Muhammadu Buhari and some ex-National Assembly leaders.

Those who attended the Monday meetings at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, included ex-Senate President David Mark, his predecessor, Ken Namani, as well as a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari.

Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, attended the meeting. A source at the meetings said that they were aimed at finding political solutions to the crisis between the Senate and the executive.

It was further learnt that Mark and Masari met with Saraki and advised him to reshuffle the committees with a view to addressing the perceived lopsidedness in the initial appointments, which forced the aggrieved senators to initiate legal action against the Senate presiding officers.

It was further learnt that Saraki had briefed his colleagues at an executive session held on Tuesday and urged them to take the new arrangements in good faith in the interest of peace. The new chairmen appeared to be pleased with the new arrangements as they were beaming with smiles and exchanging pleasantries with their colleagues after the session