According to reports, several members of the House of Representatives are attempting to gain admittance into the Green Chamber’s Appropriations Committee by lobbying the National Assembly’s leadership and influential presidential figures.
The lower house is reportedly unhappy about the committee’s growing membership in recent weeks, which is allegedly against House norms.
It was discovered that there were now 57 members on the Appropriations Committee, instead of the 40 that house rules permitted under statute.
A few chairs and deputies of other House Standing Committees have reportedly been accepted as committee members, according to Leadership.
According to the publication, the legislators joined the committee because of the lucrative chances that come with being a member, particularly in terms of financial benefits and the chance to smuggle projects into the budget for personal financial advantage.
Chairmen and deputies of other standing committees are not permitted to join the appropriations committee, nevertheless, due to House Rules.
It was learned that Edo and Akwa-Ibom states each have three members, and that the chairs of two additional standing committees had already been appointed to the panels.
According to the report, several states have more than one member in the committee, despite the fact that Ebonyi has two members, which is against House norms.
According to the rules, the approval committee is meant to consist of a chairperson, members from each of the 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who are all nominated during the state caucuses.
Given that the House of Representatives has ten members, it is understood that the committee was constituted by the standing orders of both chambers of the National Assembly.
The committee has the authority to hold hearings on the whole budget as well as authorize funds for the implementation of government programs and initiatives.
Members of the Appropriations Committee have viewed and used the committee as a lifeline for significant personal advancement, a source in the green room informed Leadership.
According to the source, the House Appropriations Committee currently has 57 members. However, some chairmen and deputies from other committees have entered the committee by force, which is against the house’s standing norms. There are still more members agitating to be included in the appropriation. The committee’s membership may surpass 100 given the current trend.
The appeal is readily apparent. It’s essential to the NASS since it gives members the chance to earn more money.
“The members who entered the committee through the back doors are now isolating and sidelining the statutory members of the committee. The House is experiencing new repercussions as a result of the committee’s overload.
