A heated session erupted at the House of Representatives on Tuesday as lawmakers clashed over which committee should investigate alleged irregular sales and allocations of federal government assets at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
The uproar followed a motion of urgent public importance by Hon. Ademorin Kuye, who urged the House to probe the alleged illegal sale of government assets at the complex. Kuye proposed that the House Committee on Public Assets handle the investigation.
However, the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, argued that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce, sparking back-and-forth debates.
Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau) insisted that since the Trade Fair Complex is a federal property, the Committee on Public Assets had oversight, citing House Standing Rules. Conversely, Hon. Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa Ibom) maintained that the complex is a commercial entity, which places it under the Committee on Commerce.
Efforts to form a joint committee were proposed but failed to gain consensus. Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP, Nasarawa) suggested Public Assets take the lead with Commerce supporting, while Deputy Chairman of Commerce, Hon. James Shaibu (PDP, Taraba), noted that his committee had already conducted oversight visits, warning against duplication of efforts.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu intervened to restore order, clarifying that the probe concerns the allocation of premises, not commercial operations.
He proposed an ad hoc committee with members from both committees to conduct a joint investigation, but the plan was blocked by lawmakers.
The motion was eventually put to a voice vote and rejected, escalating the rowdy session further.
Kalu ultimately dissolved the House into an executive session to resolve the dispute.
