How Dogara Short Changed The States On Committees Appointment

A concerned citizen, peter Bournias, a blogger in his contribution to the topical debate of what makes a great country reasoned that a great country need leaders that care for the present and future of the country. Leaders should reflect wisdom, common sense and intelligence in all their conducts.

Recently the speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara unveiled the list 76 committee chairman to assist him in the various committees which are considered as the engine room of a viable legislature.

However, it was greeted with serious resentment even form members of his own political party ,the APC for relegating its majority status by giving equal prominence to the opposition party the PDP in the allotment of the committee chairmanship.

In his defence the new chairman of the House committee on media and public Affairs, Hon. Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas said that what speaker Dogara did is pan-Nigerianism. However, a critical analysis of Hon. Namadas’ pan-Nigerianism theory proved propenderous, lacking in truth, logic and sense. This is because by analyzing the composition of the committee on a state by basis state one will see that the claim of PAN NIGERIANISM is a big lie.

The analysis of the Dogara’s committee sharing formula revealed among others:

1. About six (6) states have been unduly short changed with only 1 chairmanship slot instead of the minimum equity of 2.

2. About seventeen (17) states have inequitably profited, with more than 2 slots.

So the question to ask is ‘’what is pan-nigerianism’’ in Dogara’s committee sharing formula? Pan nigerianism, to me should mean giving each state its due slot in respect of the spirit of nigerianism without being short changed or disrespected. It should be devoid of biasness of any sort. The chairmanship allotment for a PAN NIGERIAN should be rational, as well as equitable.

For instance, the irrationality of the Dogara formula can be seen in the following scenarios; what qualifies Enugu state with 8 elected members to have 4 chairmanship slots more than Jigawa state, with 11 elected members and was given only 1 slot? Furthermore how do you rationalize the case of Lagos state with 24 elected members to be given only 4 chairmanship slots . The same with Delta state with only 8 elected members; 

I think if Rt. Hon Yakabu Dogara had been true to his Oath of office and the Oath of Allegiance which he had sworn to, he would observe the equity consideration first, by giving 2 slots to each of the 36 states of the federation and FCT and then proceed to reward loyalist with the balance 23 slot that are available to him. The shows that he could still reward loyalty as well as satisfy equitable consideration to each state. (PAN NIGERIANISM).

Lest we forget, the House recently passed a Resolution (HR.119/2015) for the equitable distribution of Recruitment slots into the Nigeria police force based on equitable of all the local government areas in Nigeria as follows:

‘’(ii) urge the police service commission , the ministry of police affairs and the Nigerian police force to ensure that the recruitment exercise of 10,000 officers and men into the Nigerian police force shall be based on an allotment of ten (10) slots to each of the seven hundred and seventy-four (774) local government areas and six (6) Area councils (of the FCT), in the first instance,’’

So why is the same House, under the same speakership not respecting the same spirit of equity in the conduct of its affairs? This amount to double speak, ‘’do as I say and not as I do’’

So the critical question to ask is why can’t the House consider the equity of states in the allocation of chairmen of committee in line with our earlier reasoning and conviction as was the case of the police recruitment?

After all, the constitution of the federation (1999), as amended in section 14(3) further buttresses the argument for equitable consideration.

‘’The composition of the Government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also command national loyalty thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies,’’

This by interpretation would mean that the 36 states and FCT , making 37 units shall each get 2 chairmen totalling 74 slots, thereby leaving up to 23 slots for the convenience of the speaker to reward his personal loyalists and super political masters without having to undermine the constitutional provision for equity, fairness and social justice. Anything short of meeting the equitable minimum of 2 chairmanship slots for each state is bias, unfair and therefore cannot be PAN NIGERIANISM.

Form the foregoing, it is crystal clear that the Dogara committee sharing formula is neither PAN – NIGERIANISM nor is it JUSTIFIABLE. For a number four citizen of the country and a potential statesman in the making, such public conduct is not acceptable and right. He should go for corporate satisfaction of the entire House, give a sense of belonging to all members and create a peaceful atmosphere at all times within the chamber. There is time to make amend Mr speaker.