Saraki woos PDP Senators with juicy committees

…Constitutes 65 Senate Standing Committees

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Wednesday moved towards stabilizing his leadership as he announced the constitution of standing Committees of the Senate, balancing the spread among all contending forces in the Senate.

Saraki read out the Committees and their Chairmen during Plenary with indication that members of the All Progressives Congress APC gained upper hands in the spread at the expense of the opposition, contrary to earlier expectations.

In all, 65 Standing Committees were constituted while the APC got 41, leaving 24 for the opposition party.

The Senate leadership had used the Committees to pull closer Senators who were hitherto opposed to it as it considered Saraki’s number one contender, Ahmed Lawam for Defence Committee, while wife of APC leader, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu emerged as Chairman Committee on Women Affairs.

According to the list, Senate Senator Dino Melaye will head the committee on Federal Capital Territory, while Ben Murray Bruce is to head the Committee on Privatization.

Another foremost critics of Saraki, Senator Kabiru Marafa is to head the Senate Committee on National Identity Card, while his closest friend, Senator Danjuma Goje becomes the Chairman Appropriation Committee, obviously the most juicy.

Below is the full list of the committees and their chairmen:

Water Resources:                                            Mohammed Shittu

Women Affairs:                                                Oluremi Tinubu

Poverty Alleviation:                                           Ali Wakil

States and LG:                                                Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel

Trade and Investment:                                      Fatimat Rasaki

Police Affairs:                                                  Abu Ibrahim

Power:                                                            James Manager

Privatization:                                                   Ben Murray-Bruce

Science and Tech:                                           Senator Ajayi Boroffice

Land Transport:                                               Gbenga Ashafa

Marine Transport:                                            Ahmed Sani

Public Procurement:                                       Mohammed Ohiare

Nat’l Identity:                                                  Kabiru Marafa

Health:                                                           Dr. Lanre Tejuoso

ICT:                                                                Abdulfatai Buhari

INEC:                                                             Abubakar Kyari

Information and Nat’l Orientation:                Eyinnaya Abaribe

Basic and Secondary Education:                  Aliyu Wammako

FCT:                                                               Dino Melaye

Finance:                                                         John Enoh

Foreign Affairs:                                                Monsurat Sunmonu

Capital Market:                                                Isiaka Adeleke

Culture and Tourism:                                         Matthew Urhoghide

Customs and Excise:                                       Adamu Aliero

Defence:                                                         Ahmed Lawan

Drugs and Narcotics:                                       Joshua Lidani

Agriculture:                                                     Abdullahi Adamu

Army:                                                             George Akume

Anti-Corruption:                                               Chukwuka Utazi

Appropriation:                                                  Danjuma Goje

Aviation:                                                         Hope Uzodinma