Senators reject Akpabio’s plan to establish six committees for Regional Development Ministry

Senators across party lines have criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s proposal to create six standing committees to oversee the Ministry of Regional Development.

The senators argued that Akpabio’s plan violated the longstanding tradition of the National Assembly, which assigns a specific committee to supervise a ministry or sector.

They contended that this structure ensures accountability, prevents abuse of power, and curtails the misuse of public funds.

The disagreement reportedly arose last Wednesday, shortly before the Senate leadership met with the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, YU Dunhai, and the Deputy Head of the Chinese Mission in Nigeria, Zhang Yi, at the New Senate Wing.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently restructured ministries and portfolios to enhance efficiency, renaming the Ministry of Niger Delta Development as the Ministry of Regional Development.

The revamped ministry is now tasked with overseeing all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North-East Development Commission (NEDC), North-West Development Commission (NWDC), South-East Development Commission (SEDC), and South-West Development Commission (SWDC).

This restructuring prompted the Senate leadership to reconsider its committee framework. Rather than renaming the Committee on NDDC as the Committee on Regional Development, Akpabio proposed creating separate committees for each regional development commission.

Senators, however, expressed strong opposition to this plan. One senator, speaking anonymously, noted that most lawmakers advised against the proposal, warning it would distract the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, from his duties due to multiple oversight requests from different committees.

“This plan could subject the Senate to public ridicule, especially during a time of national crises when we should be offering innovative solutions,” the senator stated.

Another senator criticised the proposal as a “politics of patronage,” alleging it was designed to appease northern senators threatening impeachment.

He warned that implementing the plan could provoke widespread public criticism against the Senate and the National Assembly.

A different senator highlighted the challenges of supervising agencies like the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), which often sends representatives instead of the Minister of Works due to competing responsibilities.

He warned that fragmenting oversight responsibilities for the Ministry of Regional Development could result in similar inefficiencies.

Many senators urged Akpabio to reconsider the proposal, emphasising that creating six committees for one ministry would only deepen the public trust deficit confronting the 10th Senate.