The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Thursday announced the constitution of 96 standing committees.
From Dogara’s announcement made after plenary, the South heads 46 committees while the North heads 50.
Also, in what looks like a political balancing act between the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the ruling party heads 48 committees, PDP heads 45 while All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, got one chairmanship slot each.
A breakdown of the headship of the committees shows that Abdulmumin Jibrin heads Appropriation, Kingsley Chima, Public Accounts, Abdulrazak Namdas, Media, Nasiru Baballe Ila, House Services, Timothy Golu, Legislative Budget and Aminu Suleiman, Tertiary Education Services.
The House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, will head Custom with Rufa’i Chachangi as the vice chairman, Sani Zoro heads newly created Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, committee and Garba Muhammed heads Solid Minerals.
Others are Rima Shawulu Kwewum, Army, Zakari Mohammed, Basic Education, Chike Okafor, Healthcare Services and Aminu Shehu Shagari, Federal Judiciary.
Those who retained the headships of their previous committees are Jones Onyeriri, Banking and Currency; Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, Aviation; Nnenna Ukeje, Foreign Affairs; Mohammed Munguno, Agriculture; Shehu Shagari, Judiciary; Nicholas Mutu, NDDC, and Aminu Suleiman, Education.
The new committees announced by the Speaker apart for the IDPs are Agricultural Colleges and Institutions chaired by Linus Okorie, Basic Education and Services, chaired by Muhammed Zakari, and Delegated Legislation which is headed by Simeon Arabo.
Others are FCT Judiciary, Laori Kwamoti, Health Institutions,Betty Apiafi and Insurance and Actuarial Matters, Olufemi Fakeye.