Gbajabiamila, aggrieved Reps may boycott inauguration of committees

Gbajabiamila, aggrieved Reps may boycott inauguration of committees
By Our Reporter  on November 9, 2015   National

◾Dogara has appeased members -Aide
From Fred Itua and Kemi Yesufu, Abuja
INDICATIONS emerged yesterday that Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and his core loyalists who recently protested the alleged lop­sided composition of the various standing commit­tees, might boycott the inau­guration exercise expected to be conducted by Speaker Yakubu Dogara today.
There are also appre­hensions and fears in the Speaker’s camp that the gale of rejection of commit­tee chairmanships by some aggrieved lawmakers may again be revisited during the official inauguration exer­cise.
In a chat with Daily Sun, media aide to Gbajabiamila, Mr. Olarewanju Smart, said he could not readily confirm or deny whether or not his principal would be present during the inauguration ex­ercise scheduled to hold in­side the Green Chamber.
“To the best of my knowl­edge, he (Dogara) has not informed anybody. But we will be duly guided,” he said.
Regardless, spokesman of the House, Abdulrazak Saad Namdas, in a similar chat insisted every contentious issue between the two war­ing camps had been resolved in the interest of the country.
He explained that follow­ing the accusation of Dogara by Gbajabiamila that he was not carried along during the compilation of names of the chairmen and their deputies and the explanation by the Speaker’s office, every divi­sive issue had been conclu­sively addressed.
“There will be surprises. Do not forget that the Speak­er had a meeting with the chairmen and the deputies of the 96 standing committees.
We had about 99.9 per cent attendance of the chair­men and their deputies. All of them gave the Speaker a standing ovation during the meeting. That is an indica­tion that they have accepted the various positions given to them.
“I can assure you tomor­row that all the committees will be inaugurated at once and we will have 99.9 per cent attendance.
You should know that if people are not there, it is because they have traveled for official reasons and not because they rejected their positions.”