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.(The Cable)
