Dogara set to streamline House Standing committees

INDICATION has emerged that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, is set to restructure the House’s Standing Committees arrangement to prevent overlapping jurisdictions.

To this end, the Speaker has constituted three ad-hoc committees, which include that of Media and Public Affairs, review of the House’s Standing Orders, and review of Code of Conduct for members.

Mohammed Sani Zoro heads the committee on media while Orker Jev and Aminu Sheu Shagari head committees on the review of the House Orders and Code of Conduct respectively.

Dogara who gave the indication while presenting a draft legislative framework to guide the Chamber for the next four years, said, “One of the identified problems of Investigative Hearings and Oversight of the Executive Arm, is the multiplicity of committees with overlapping jurisdiction on the same subject matter.”

The Speaker noted that this has led to a situation where more than one Committee, is handling the same subject matter as different Committees on the same subject send invitations to the same officials of government.

“The House is committed to developing necessary legislative tools and mechanism to coordinate and streamline both investigative and oversight activities. Specifically, the House, in consultation with the Senate, will implement joint oversight and investigative hearings where necessary,” he said.

Giving highlights into the draft document, which he said members would have to consider for adoption, Dogara said, “It was necessary to have the framework, as the House under my leadership is coming at a time when there is huge expectations from Nigerians. We would however consolidate on the gains so far made by the last Assembly.”

He added that the highlights of the agenda will include: to legislate for the common good of Nigerians, confronting corruption and insecurity, improving governance through cutting cost and blocking revenue leakages in Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He also promised that the House would collaborate with the Senate and other arms of government to legislate for the common good of the Nigerian people.

The Speaker added that there would be legislative initiatives specifically for Niger Delta, and the North East, which he said is still under the siege of the Boko Haram insurgents, even as the House would introduce e-parliament in tune with modern trends.