Reps Clash Over Which Committee Should Investigate Lagos Trade Fair Complex

The House of Representatives on Tuesday descended into a heated argument over which committee has the authority to investigate the alleged irregular sale and management of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex — the Committee on Public Assets or the Committee on Commerce.

The dispute arose after Hon. Ademorin Kuye moved a motion of urgent public importance, calling for a probe into the alleged illegal allocation of sections of the government-owned complex. Kuye proposed that the House Committee on Public Assets handle the investigation.

However, the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Francis Waive, countered, insisting that the matter constitutionally falls under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce.

His objection sparked a prolonged back-and-forth among lawmakers over the rightful committee to lead the inquiry.

Citing Order 109, Rules 1 and 2 of the House Standing Rules, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (APC, Plateau) argued that the Public Assets Committee is responsible for oversight of all government properties, both within and outside Nigeria.

“If you check Order 109, it clearly states that the Committee on Public Assets oversees ministries and agencies charged with the management and disposal of public assets. The Lagos Trade Fair is one of such assets,” Gagdi stated.

But Hon. Mark Esset (PDP, Akwa Ibom) disagreed, maintaining that trade fairs are listed under the Committee on Commerce in the House rulebook.

“Trade fair is not a public asset being sold. It is a commercial entity, and the House Rules on page 153 clearly list it under the functions of the Committee on Commerce. If the House made a mistake by its earlier decision, we have the power to correct it,” he said.

As tensions escalated, Hon. Ali Isa J.C. (PDP, Gombe) urged restraint, proposing that both committees jointly conduct the investigation, with the Commerce Committee taking the lead. However, his motion failed to get a seconder.

Later, Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP, Nasarawa) supported a joint probe but suggested that Public Assets should take the lead, since the issue concerns federal property ownership and potential sale.

“Since it involves federal land and premises, Public Assets should lead, while Commerce can provide support since trade activities are also involved,” Gbefwi said.

Adding to the drama, Deputy Chairman of the Commerce Committee, Hon. James Shai Wubarka (PDP, Taraba), revealed that his committee had already carried out two oversight visits to the Lagos Trade Fair Complex on the same matter. He warned that transferring the probe to another committee would undermine Commerce’s statutory oversight powers.

As the session grew rowdy, the Speaker intervened to restore calm, clarifying that the investigation centered on the allocation of the complex’s premises, not its commercial operations.

To resolve the impasse, the Speaker announced that an ad hoc committee comprising members of both the Public Assets and Commerce Committees would handle the investigation jointly.

“It’s only an investigation. To bridge the divide between both committees, we will have an ad hoc committee involving members from both sides to handle it,” the Speaker ruled.

However, when the motion was later put to a voice vote, it was rejected with a loud “nay,” triggering fresh uproar in the chamber. The Deputy Speaker struggled to restore order before the House went into a closed-door executive session to resolve the lingering dispute.

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