Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the federal house of representatives, has announced the replacement of the chairman, house committee on appropriation.
The House of Representatives was in rowdy session over the planned inclusion of the Senate President and Speaker to enjoy immunity.
Abdulmumin Jibrin had narrated that trouble started in the National assembly over immunity when the issue was raised and he countered it.. “No one needs immunity except you have something to hide. Let us focus on serving the Nigerian people without emperor-esque privileges”.
“At a time when Nigerians are pushing for the removal of immunity for Governors, it will be wrong for the House to push for immunity; with what I have seen in Nass in the last five years, I I know the independence or effectiveness of the legislature doesn’t rest on immunity”, he wrote…
“During the plenary, the house split between the opponents and proponents. I stood for progress and best practice, I stood out because my voice was heard loudly and I was moving from seat to seat talking to members”. The Lawmaker said at a time when Nigerians are pushing for the removal of immunity for Governors, it will be wrong for the House to push for immunity, he added that the war against corruption has gained sufficient ground under president Muhammadu buhari. We cant afford to set it back.
Until today’s announcement, Abdulmumin Jibrin representing Bebeji/Kiru federal constituency, was chairman of the committee. But he has now been replaced with Mustapha Dawaki Bala, representing Kudu/Warawa federal constituency of Kano state.
Speaking shortly before the house adjourned its Wednesday sitting, Dogara informed his colleagues that the house leadership had taken the decision to replace him as the committee chairman.
“He met me and said he does not think he would continue as the committee chairman due to pressure of the work, “Dogara said but he added that the decision to remove him had already been taken.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has repeatedly justified the attempt by the National Assembly to pass legislation extending the immunity shielding the president and state governors from criminal prosecution to the principal officers of the legislature, stating that though there was an outcry, especially on the social media against the move, those against the legislation had effectively conferred legitimacy to the ongoing trial by the federal government of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, for alleged forgery of the Senate rules.
He insisted that the independence of the National Assembly must remain sacrosanct, cautioning that in the future it might be impossible to stop the executive if its goal is to emasculate the legislature.
