Crisis Looms for Dogara as Tussle for Chairmanship of Public Accounts C'ttee Heats up

07 Oct 2015  THIS DAY NEWS

Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja 
As the House of Representatives awaits the announcement of the constitution of its standing committees,  there are indications that the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, is torn between rewarding his key supporters during the leadership tussle and ensuring fairness among all geopolitical zones.

THISDAY gathered that the chairmanship of the coveted Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is at the root of the current quagmire.

The PAC which constitutionally belongs to the opposition is being lobbied for by members of the South-west caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The caucus has hinged its argument on the fact that the zone does not currently occupy any of the principal minority positions.

The PDP minority leadership is occupied by Hon. Leo Ogor (Delta) from the South-South; the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Chukwuma Onyema (Anambra) from the South-east, Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Yakubu Barde (Kaduna) from the North-west; and Deputy Minority Whip, Hon. Binta Bello (Gombe) from the North-east.

The South-west PDP caucus is therefore pushing for Hon. Oluwole Oke from Osun State to chair the committee.

THISDAY gathered that loyalists of the Speaker want Hon. Nnnena Elendu-Ukeje (Abia PDP) to be given the PAC chairmanship as reward for her unalloyed support of Dagara’s  emergence as Speaker, even though she was a close ally of his rival for the seat, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Ukeje is considered very influential among her colleagues as a third time member of the lower chambers.

Oke was Chairman of the House Committee on Defence from 2003-2011, terms of the fourth and fifth assemblies. 

According to information on the website of the National Assembly, it is the duty of the PAC to examine the accounts showing the appropriation of the monies granted to meet public expenditure, and reports of auditors. The committee has the power to examine any accounts or reports of statutory corporations and boards after they have been submitted to the House, and to report from time to time to the House.

The chairmanships of all standing committees are constitutionally at the prerogative of the Speaker, who is also the Chairman of the selection committee.

Attempts to reach the Special Adviser on Media to the Speaker, Mr. Turaki Hassan, proved abortive as his phone number was unavailable.