Two-term member of House of Representatives, Hon Garba Mohammed Datti yesterday rejected his appointment as chairman House Committee on Solid Minerals.
Datti, who was immediate past Deputy Minority Whip of the House said he was not consulted before being named.
Datti, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kaduna State had during the plenary, presided by the Deputy Speaker, HonYussuf Lasun, raised a point of order bothering on personal explanations to announce the rejection of his appointment.
The lawmaker who staged a walkout after the incident, however, explained that his action was not based on any grievances but on his “principled disposition”.
Meanwhile, the House spokesman, Hon Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas, disclosed to newsmen that Datti has been replaced by Samaila Suleiman (Kaduna/APC).
“I feel as a former principal officer, I should have been consulted before my name was announced. I just heard of it on the floor. I have my own principles. I have decided on my own to withdraw as the chairman of that committee,” Datti told journalists outside the House chambers.
Datti continued: “I should have been consulted. If the president wants to appoint his ministers, I think before the announcement he has to consult them.”
He however expressed confidence in the Dogara-led leadership of the 8th House.
“I don’t have any qualms with the leadership as presently constituted, because the election was democratically done here. I am not against anybody but I am against the decision of coming to announce my name without consulting me. That is my reason,”he added
Emission Control: Lawmaker Rides Bicycle To National Assembly
Meanwhile, the Chairman, House Committee on Environment and Habitat, Hon. Obinna Chidoka yesterday rode on a bicycle to the National Assembly.
Chidoka (Anambra/PDP) urged Nigerians to adopt alternative modes of transportation in order to curb emissions affecting the atmosphere.
He made the call during his awareness campaign on the need to protect and preserve the country’s environment.
The lawmaker, who rode on bicycle to the National Assembly complex, said the call became necessary in view of the need to reduce the pollution of the environment through emissions from transportation.
He said, “When it comes to carbon footprint and ways of measuring it, this is a simple way of saying we can protect and preserve our environment if we look for alternatives”.
“There are so many cars in the cities and on our highways so one of the things I try to do is to bring the awareness on the need to use other modes of transportation. I know people have been doing it before, but I want to reinforce that.”
