Solomon Bob, a House of Representatives member from Rivers State, has questioned the appointment of Ikenga Ugochinyere as a committee chairman, describing it as unprecedented and inappropriate. He argued that chairmanship positions are typically reserved for ranking members with the necessary experience and procedural knowledge, which Ugochinyere lacks, having only spent three months in office.
While absolving the Speaker of direct responsibility, Bob claimed the decision was forced on the House and attributed Ugochinyere’s appointment to manipulation, calling for accountability in the process.
He said in a live coverage by Symfoni from 5:46, “How the hell did a member who has just spent three months in office become chairman of a committee in the House of Reps in Nigeria? I’ve been to parliaments all over the world—it doesn’t happen anywhere. You can’t be a chairman unless you’re ranking.
It’s not possible! Why? Because you don’t have the procedural experience, you don’t have the knowledge, you don’t have anything that qualifies you to chair a committee. I’m not blaming the Speaker—I know all of this was like a fait accompli forced on him and the House. But we must ask these questions. How did a member, with no experience, become chairman? He said.