Rowdy session rocks Reps as Lawmakers clash over committee control of Lagos trade fair probe

By Christiana Ekpa

A heated argument erupted on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday over which committee has the mandate to investigate the alleged irregular allocation and management of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex the Committee on Public Assets or the Committee on Commerce.
The heater argument followed a motion of urgent public importance by Hon Ademorin Kuye who called for an investigation into alleged illegal sale of government assets at the Trade Fair Complex.
Kuye proposed that the House Commitee on Public Asset should handle the investigation.
However, the Chairman of the House Commitee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive raised a Point of Order, drawing the attention of House to the point that the motion in question fell within the mandate of the Commitee on Commerce.
This Point of Order led to back and forth debate, as lawmakers argued over which committee should chair the investigation between the Committee on Public Assets and Commerce.
The disagreement continued as Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau) raised a point of order citing Order 109, Rule 1 and 2 of the House Standing Rules, which, according to him, gives the Committee on Public Assets jurisdiction over all government properties, including those situated within and outside the country.
Gagdi argued that since the Lagos Trade Fair Complex is a public property of the Federal Government, oversight responsibility rests with the Committee on Public Assets.
“If you check Order 109, it clearly states that the Committee on Public Assets oversees ministries and agencies charged with the management and disposal of public assets. The Lagos Trade Fair is one of such public assets,” Gagdi said.
However, Hon. Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa Ibom) disagreed, insisting that the Trade Fair Complex falls under the purview of the Committee on Commerce.
“Trade fair is not a public asset being sold. It is a commercial entity, and the House Rules on page 153 clearly list it under the functions of the Committee on Commerce. If the House has made a mistake by its earlier decision, we have the powers to reverse it,” Esset maintained.
Amid the back-and-forth, Hon. Ali Isa J.C. (PDP, Gombe) appealed for caution, urging members to follow due process and respect the guidance of the Rules and Business Committee. He proposed that a joint committee be formed, with the Committee on Commerce taking the lead while Public Assets and other relevant committees participate.
But the suggestion failed to gain traction as it was not seconded.
Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP, Nasarawa) later intervened, backing the idea of a joint committee but with the Committee on Public Assets taking the lead role, given that the matter involved the ownership and possible sale of federal property.
“Since it has to do with the premises and land, which are federal assets, Public Assets should lead the investigation, while Commerce can support since the activities there relate to trade fairs,” Gbefwi suggested.