By Olusegun Lawrence All Progressives Congress Senators loyal to Senator Ahmed Lawan have kicked against the composition of the Standing Committees released last week by the senate president, Bukola Saraki.
Reacting on Tuesday under the aegis the Unity Forum, the senators posited that the composition was against the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as amended.
The senate president had last week, announced composition of 65 Senate standing Committees as against the 57 provided for in the Standing Order.
Speaking under Point of Order at plenary on Tuesday, Senator Kabiru Marafa, said that the composition is against fairness, equity and Justice.
Marafa, who spoke on behalf of members of the Unity Forum therefore, urged Saraki to review the committees, citing relevant provisions of the constitution and the Senate standing Orders.
The Forum particularly frowned at non-observance of the seniority rule, citing the case of Oyo state where the two ranking lawmakers were not appointed to chair any committee.
According to him, it was unjust that Kwara and Enugu state which produced Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively also allocated four chairmanship slots.
Briefing newsmen after the plenary, Marafa in company of Senator Hunkuyi, posited further that the composition of the committees was defective, adding that that only Senate that has the power to approve the Standing Committees.
However, briefing newsmen, Senate spokesman, Senator Abdulahi Sabi explained that there is no illegality in the composition of the Standing Committees, insisting that due process was followed in the composition.
