THE House of Representatives on Wednesday withdrew from 12 ad hoc committees the various tasks given to them over their failure to conclude assignments given to them and submit reports before the chamber.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said after dealing with the non-performing ad hoc committees, the standing committees would be the next.

The substantive committees are now to submit their reports on or before May 25.

Gbajabiamila had on April 21, 2021, asked all ad hoc committees to lay their reports by the end of the month, saying, “Please, as a reminder, all ad hoc committees are to submit their reports 30th April – end of this month.”

The next day, Gbajabiamila, again, reminded the panels of the deadline.

Only two out of the 12 ad hoc committees laid their reports before expiration of the deadline.

At the plenary on Wednesday, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata, moved a motion to discharge the affected committees of the assignments, pursuant to Order 18, Rule 3(1)(g) of the Standing Order of the House of Representatives.

Fulata listed the committees as including the Ad Hoc Committee to Interface with the Executive Arm of Government and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (Shi’ites); Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Assault and Rape of Student by Teachers at the FCT School of the Blind, Jabi; Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Crude Oil Theft in Nigeria; Ad Hoc Committee on the Alleged Negligence by the Federal Ministries of Justice, and Petroleum Resources in the Handling of the Federal Government and the process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited; and the Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Oil Spill Clean-Ups and Remediation in the Oil Producing States.

Others were the Ad Hoc Committee on the Recent Global Crash in the Price of Crude Oil on the Appropriation Act, 2020; Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Non-Inclusion of Waste Management and Disposal in the NLNG Train-7 Project; Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Financial Budgetary Provisions, Approvals and Multilateral Donations on Skills and Acquisition and Related Programmes of the Federal Government and its Agencies; and the Ad Hoc Committee on Power Sector Reform.

Also listed were the Ad Hoc Committee on the Need to Review the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary and Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria; Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Governing Lease of Federal Government-Owned Assets; and the Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate the Failure of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to Release Retention Funds.

Fulata said, “The House also notes that the Committees have yet to present their reports contrary to the provisions of Order 18, Rule 3 (1)(g) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives; aware of the directive of the honourable Speaker on 26 April, 2021, that all ad hoc committees should present their reports on or before 30 April, 2021.”

The House unanimously adopted the motion and resolved to “discharge the ad hoc committees of the assignments and commit the same to the Committee of the Whole or any other committee as may be constituted.”

Credit: the Punch