Lawan Appoints Senator Biobarakuma As Chair Of New Committee

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has appointed Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eriemenyo as the first Chairman of the Oil, Gas and Host Communities Committee.

Biobarakuma who represents Bayelsa East Senatorial district, is from the South South geo-political zone of the country.

The Committee is a new Committee of the upper chamber.

Lawan unveiled the Committee in an announcement moment before the upper chamber adjourned plenary on Tuesday.

The announcement of the new committee comes a week after the Senate amended its 2015 Standing Rules.

Prior to the amendment of the Rules, Lawan had explained that the exercise was intended to accommodate Committees hitherto created under the 8th Senate and not captured in the Standing Orders.

Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee, Senator Sulieman Sadiq Umar, on his part, said the amendment of the rules by the chamber was “to accommodate issues that will make such Orders dynamic to facilitate effective legislative process.”

According to the new Rules, Senators can be members of not more than seven Committees at a time, while committee membership consist of not less than seven members and not more than twenty members at most.