House of Reps suspends Committee hearings

The leadership of House of Representatives has suspended all investigative and committee hearings till after resumption from annual vacation.

The House asked all Committee members to go home and observe the annual vacation.

Plenary is expected to resume in the Lower Chambers on September 15.

Various committees of the House with backlog of investigations and probes have been meeting to carry out their assigned functions.

One of them is the Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreement is probing the Chinese loans while Committee on Public Accounts is investigating audited accounts of government agencies.

Our correspondent gathered the decision was contained in a letter to Chairman of all Standing and ad hoc Committees by Leader of the House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano).

It was further learnt House Clerk, Patrick Giwa was asked to ensure that the instruction of the House is carried out.

Spokesman of the House, Benjamin Kalu confirmed the report, saying it was the first time in the history of the House that lawmakers who are supposed to be on holiday are working.

He said: “It is good for members to go home and spend time with their families because when we come back in September, it is going to be a whole lot of job considering the MTEF and the budget.

“Although this is a general directive from the leadership of the House, those who may be excused may be the Finance Committee for the purpose of looking at the MTEF.

“Even at that, the leadership wants everybody to go home, spend time with your family and be more focused when we come back.

“The job of lawmaking is a very hectic one. We cannot work round the clock and give Nigerians a piece of legislation that will solve our different problems in the country.

“Rest is part of work. If you work round the clock without resting, then you are not really working efficiently.

“We need to come back and work smartly. Yes, you can work hard, but there is also the need to work smartly.

“You will agree with me that certain committee hearings are going on now without proper House resolution and we need to put certain things in check and in the wisdom of the House, a circular was passed round today for members to go and rest, come back and we start again”.