Akume, others lose Senate committee seats

Posted by admin Headlines, Legislature Saturday, December 25th, 2010

The Senate on Wednesday carried out a minor reshuffle in the leadership of its committees, with a few senators losing their chairmanship seats and others assuming new positions

The adjustment also saw the creation of a new Committee on Special Duties.

Former governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, lost his seat as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa to Senator Joseph Akaagerger, also from Benue State.

Akume has been redeployed to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt as vice-chairman.

Senator Greg Ngaji was removed as chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology but he will now head the new committee on Special Duties, while Senator Anyim Ude, who headed the Aviation Committee, now chairs the works committee. Also, Senator Sylvester Anyanwu, who once headed the dissolved Communications Committee, is the new Chairman of the Aviation Committee.

President of the Senate, David Mark, who announced the changes in committees’ headships, also the elevation of Senator Chris Anyanwu from the vice-chairmanship of Defence and Army to the chairmanship of Science and Technology.

Senators Gbenga Oguniya and Lekan Mustapha swapped positions as they now head the committees on Internal Affairs and Police Affairs respectively.

Senator Uche Chukwumerije, who recently moved from the Progressive Peoples Alliance to the Peoples Democratic Party, is now the chairman of the Committee on Education.

He replaced Senator Bagudu Atiku, who had held the position in an acting capacity when Senator Joy Emodi left, following the annulment of her election.

Senator Patrick Osakwe, who also defected from the Accord Party to the PDP earlier in the year, was a beneficiary of Mark’s gesture, as he was named chairman of the newly constituted Communications Committee and has Kabiru Gaya as vice-chairman.

Other members of the reconstituted committee are Senators Odion Ugbesia, Atiku Bagudu, Nuhu Aliyu, Isah Braimoh, Suleiman Nazif, Naomi Akwashiki and Ayogu Eze.

Meanwhile, the Senate has adjourned sitting until January 18, 2011, but its committees on Finance and Appropriation will continue work on the 2011 budget. wp_posts