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Senate President Bukola Saraki has reshuffled the senate committees in what many see as a move to pacify members of the Unity Forum in the red chambers.
The Unity Forum was a platform put together by lawmakers opposed to the election of the Senate President and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
The peace committee headed by Senator James Manager had about three months ago presented its report at a closed door session in which it recommended the reshuffling of the Senate committee to take care of the interest of the aggrieved Senators.
The reshuffling affected 13 existing committees.
- Senator Oluremi Tinubu who was Women Affairs Committee was redeployed to the Committee on Environment.
- Spokesman of the Unity Forum Senators, Kabiru Marafa, has been taken from the committee on National Identity Card/National Population to head the committee on Petroleum Resources (Down stream).
- Suleiman Hukunyi, another critic of the senate president, is now in charge of the Committee on National Identity/National Population.
- Senator Hope Uzodinma was moved from the Committee on Aviation to head the Committee on Customs while Senator Adamu Aliero who formerly heads the Customs Committee was moved to Aviation.
- Senator Barau Jibril who had served as Acting Chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources (down stream) has been moved to head the Committee on Tertiary Institutions.
- Senator Joshua Dariye who was formerly chairman of the Committee on Solid Minerals Resources was redeployed to the Committee on Public Procurement.
- Former chairman of Rules and Business, Babajide Omoworare, was moved to head a newly created committee called Committee on Legislative Compliance.
- Senator Adokwe Suleiman who was sworn in much after the inauguration of the 8th Senate is now the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
- Senator Baba Kaka Garbai has in the new arrangement been appointed as head of the Committee on Rules and Business just as Senator Tijani Kaura has taken charge of the Committee on Federal Character.
- New Senator Ahmed Ogembe (Kogi Central, PDP) was appointed Vice Chairman of the Committee on Marine Transport while another new Senator, Ovie Omo Agege (Delta Central, Labour Party) was appointed as Vice Chairman of the Committee on Land Transport.
Saraki, who made the announcement shortly before the senate adjourned on Thursday, urged committees to use the holiday to conclude their annual report for submission when the senate reconvenes on September 13.