Saraki unveils 65 Senate standing committees

By Ezrel Tabiowo
Abuja

Five months after inauguration, the eighth Senate yesterday named its standing committees, numbering 65, along their respective chairmen. They are to oversight relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over the next four years. The committees increased by eight over and above that of the seventh Senate which stood at  57.
The names, as announced  by Senate President Bukola Saraki at the plenary, showed that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has 41 committee chairmen while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP got  24.
Announcing the committees, Saraki  advised them to  hold regular meetings to fashion our ways of strengthening their oversight functions.
According to him, the Eight Senate must focus on doing things differently in its drive to achieve positive results needed to achieve development for the country, as well as meet the yearnings of
Nigerians.
A major highlight of the composition revealed that the anti-Saraki Senators under the umbrella of  Senate Unity Forum (SUF), a group comprised of lawmakers who supported  the duos of Senators Ahmad Lawan and George Akume as Senate President/Deputy bid,  will chair committees on Defence, Army, Police Affairs, National Planning, Housing and Women Affairs among others.
While Ahmad and Akume got that of defence and army respectively, the SUF chair, Senator Barnabas Gemade chairs the housing committee.
Also, Senator Abu Ibrahim, a strong SUF  member, chairs  police affairs, while Senator Oluremi Tinubu heads that on women affairs.
Other members of the SUF, who got chairmanship positions are Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Land Transport) and Kabiru Marafa (National Identity Card).
The chairmanship of other committees include: Senators Ahmed Sani (Marine Transport);  Mohammed Ohiare  (Public Procurement)); Ali Wakili (Poverty Alleviation), James Manager (Power); Ben Murray-Bruce (Privatisation); Ajayi Borrofice (Science and Technology); Abdullahi
Adamu (Agriculture); Godfrey Utazi (Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes); Danjuma Goje (Appropriation); and Hope Uzodinma (Aviation).
The rest include: Isiaka Adeleke (Capital Market); Mathew Urhoghide (Culture and Tourism); Adamu Aliero (Customs and Excise), Joshua Lidani ( Drugs and Narcotics); Lanre Tejuoso (Health); AbdulFatai Buhari (ICT and Cybercrime); Abubakar Kyari (Independent National Electoral Commission); Enyinnaya Abaribe (Information and National Orientation).
Also named are : Aliyu Wamakko (Basic and Secondary Education); Dino Melaye (Federal Capital Territory); John Enoh (Finance); Monsurat Sunmonu (Foreign Affairs); Shaaba Lafiagi (National Security and Intelligence); Duro Faseyi (Air Force); and Rafiu Ibrahim (Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions).
Similarly,  Gilbert Nnaji  heads the committee on communications; Sani Danladi (Co-operation
and Integration in Africa and NEPAD); Rose Oko (Diaspora and Civil Societies); Uche Ekwunife (Downstream Petroleum);  Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Ecology and Climate Change); Suleiman Nazif (Employment, Labour and Productivity); Olaka Nwogu (Environment); Emmanuel Paulker (Establishment and Public Service); Salihu Egye (Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs); and Bassey Albert (Gas)
Also making the list are: George Sekibo (Interior); Usman Nafada (Inter-parliamentary Affairs); Sam Egwu (Industry); David Umaru (Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters); Shehu Sani (Local and
Foreign Debts); Aliyu Abdullahi (Media and Public Affairs); Rabiu Kwankwaso (National Planning and Economic Affairs).
Prior to this time, the  upper chamber  set up four Special Committees, namely: Rules and Business (Babajide Omoworare); Senate Services, (Ibrahim Gobir), Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions (Samuel Anyanwu) and Public Accounts (Andy Ubah).