The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, descended into a heated exchange over which committee should lead the investigation into alleged irregularities in the allocation and management of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
The disagreement, which briefly turned the plenary into a rowdy session, stemmed from a motion of urgent public importance raised by Hon. Ademorin Kuye, who sought a probe into the alleged illegal sale of government assets within the complex.
Kuye had proposed that the Committee on Public Assets undertake the investigation. However, the Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee, Hon. Francis Waive, objected, arguing that the issue falls under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce, in line with the House Standing Orders.
His position immediately sparked sharp divisions among lawmakers.
Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, countered the argument, citing Order 109, Rules 1 and 2 of the House Standing Rules, which, according to him, empower the Committee on Public Assets to oversee all government-owned properties.
“The Lagos Trade Fair Complex is a public property of the Federal Government. Order 109 clearly gives the Public Assets Committee the mandate to supervise and investigate all government assets, whether within or outside Nigeria,” Gagdi maintained.
But Hon. Mark Esset disagreed, insisting that the complex operates as a commercial entity and therefore belongs under the Committee on Commerce.
“The Trade Fair is a commercial enterprise, not merely a public asset. The Standing Orders, on page 153, assign trade-related facilities to the Commerce Committee,” he said.
Amid the back-and-forth, Deputy Minority Whip, Hon. Ali Isa, appealed for calm and suggested a joint investigation led by the Commerce Committee with participation from Public Assets and other relevant committees — a proposal that was not adopted.
Instead, Hon. Gbefwi Gaza (SDP–Nasarawa), Chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals, proposed that the Public Assets Committee should take the lead, given that the controversy concerns federal land ownership.
“Since this involves property owned by the Federal Government, Public Assets should chair the probe, while Commerce may join as a supporting committee,” Gaza argued.
However, Hon. James Wubarka, Deputy Chairman of the Commerce Committee, opposed the motion, revealing that his committee had already visited the complex twice on oversight duties.
“We have been handling this matter already. Transferring it elsewhere undermines our committee’s responsibility,” he protested.
As tempers rose, the presiding officer intervened, clarifying that the motion primarily concerns the management and allocation of the complex, not its commercial operations.
To defuse tensions, the Speaker ruled that an ad hoc committee comprising members of both the Public Assets and Commerce committees be constituted to jointly investigate the matter.
“This is merely an investigation. To bridge the divide, we’ll set up an ad hoc committee involving both sides,” the Speaker announced.
Despite the intervention, murmurs and heated exchanges continued. When the motion was eventually subjected to a voice vote, it was rejected, further deepening the rowdiness. The session was later suspended for a closed-door meeting, after which the motion was stepped down pending further consultations.
