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New members, House leadership on war path

By Rotimi Ajayi
Monday, December 15, 2003

ABUJA—A MOVE capable of upseting the peace at the House of Representatives is gathering momentum as many members of the House are set for a showdown with the leadership of the House. According to several members of the House, the leadership would be queried this week over what has been delaying the provision of offices for every member as resolved at the floor of the house in July.
It was learnt that when the House resumes tomorrow, the issue would be put on the agenda for the week.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Usman Bugaje, alleged that the finances of the House were being shrouded in secrecy.
He stated that all attempts made by him to know the budget due to his committee had failed as no one could give him details over the issue. "We don’t seem to understand really how committees are supposed to function in the House. We have a job to do, we have no budget to do it and nobody can tell you what is the budget of the committee on foreign affairs.
"I have been looking for this information nobody is there to tell me. All these things are supposed to be transparent, supposed to be open. In United States, the budget of United States government is on the web sites, it is there for everybody to see.
"From China, from anywhere you can log on to that website and see what the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Congress is getting.
"I don’t know why we are very secretive about this. This is public money and the public ought to know. I don’t know why we are hiding this thing."
His colleague, Mr Nnaemeka Amadi disclosed that not less than 100 members of the House are yet to be given offices.
A member from the south south zone disclosed, "we are going to give ultimatum to the leadership this week to furnish and give offices to every member.
"We cannot continue to work the way we are working. Our constituents will not understand if we fail to impact on their lives."