By Korieocha Emmanuel
The Senate committee on communication,
one of the 54 committees of the Senate that were constituted in 2007 shortly
after the inauguration of the Senate on June 5, 2007 has been dissolved. The
Senate took the drastic action against the committee on Thursday over what it
described as “attempts by the committee to ridicule the Senate”.
Senator Sylvester Anyanwu (PDP-Imo,
representing Okigwe senatorial district) who heads the committee had submitted
a report of a purported screening of members of the Governing Board of the
Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to the Senate for consideration. The
Senate, which immediately commenced consideration of the report, however,
stopped mid-way following the disclosure by a member of the committee, Umar
Argungun (PDP-Kebbi North), that no screening took place. Argungun wondered how
the committee chairman came about the report being presented to the Senate.
Another member of the committee, Tanko Ayuba (PDP-Kebbi), said that he signed
the report of the screening only “this morning”.
“This is the time to own
up. I signed this morning but didn’t attend any screening,” he said. The vice
chairman of the committee, Joseph Akaagerger (PDP-Benue) appealed to the Senate
to go into a closed door session to resolve the issue but was rejected by
Senate President David Mark. Mark said: “There will be no closed door session.
The committee has put itself in an embarrassing situation. I am sad by this.
One committee should not ridicule the Senate.
“I am truly disappointed in
the committee. None of the committee members can exonerate himself and all of
you appended your signatures. “I am short of words but insist that we will not
go into closed session. This committee stands dissolved.” Anyanwu, who pleaded
against the dissolution of the committee, said: “We feel sad but can still
correct the short-coming”.
However, after much
pressure from Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Mohammed Maina, Deputy
Chief Whip, Mark agreed to go into a closed door session. But after a closed
door session that lasted about 45 minutes, the Senate President announced the
disbandment of the committee, adding that the members of the governing board of
the NCC, who were at the Senate gallery to witness their confirmation, would be
screened openly by the Senate.
Anyanwu had in the report
stated that the committee screened the members on July 27 and urged the Senate
to confirm the nominees, adding that the reports of the police and security
agencies also cleared the nominees.
Joel Danlami (PDP-Taraba)
had raised an observation that his state had been marginalised in federal
appointments in the country. He argued that the slot of the North East had
always been occupied by people from Borno.
“The principle of federal
character must be taken into consideration. Nobody has been appointed to head
any commission from my state. Borno has had too many at the expense of Taraba,”
he said.
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