Some senators on Sarurday in Abuja said that contrary to speculation, there is nothing like ‘juicy committee’ in the 8th National Assembly under the All Progressives Congress-led administration.
The Senators, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), likened the perceived juicy committees to corruption that characterised the past administration.
Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Ibn Na’Alla, said that he did not understand what they meant by juicy committees, especially with the fight against corruption by the APC government.
“I am saying it with all degree of responsibility that Senator Na’Allah does not understand what is a juicy committee or what is not juicy committee. It is even more so under the present dispensation, where there is going to be zero tolerance against corruption”.
According to him, the work of a senator is that of service to humanity, to his constituency and to the nation.
“It is degrading, it does not show seriousness, and it does not portray service to humanity, when we begin to say some committees are juicy. I have never heard in any parliament anywhere in the world where committees are referred to as Juicy and non-Juicy”, he said.
In his view, Sen. Kabir Marafa (APC Zamfara Central) said that he had no idea of what makes a committee to be juicy except if juiciness is synonymous with work.
He said that he had been privileged to work in number of committees and they were all juicy as far as work was concerned.
“Now, if you are talking of juicy in terms of making money, then you are in the wrong government. If juicy means a committee that will engage you 24 hours and bring the best out of you, I think all committees have that potential”.
Also speaking, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP Abia North) said that it does not matter the distribution of the committees between the PDP and the APC.
“What is important is that whatever committee you find yourself do your best and work for the enhancement of the committee and the senate”.
Ohuabunwa, who is the chairman Primary Health Committee, said that he will focus more on enhancing preventive medicine rather than curative.
The committees were announced on Wednesday by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki. (NAN)
