The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has ordered the dissolution of all ad hoc committees of the lower legislative chamber, bringing their activities to an immediate end.
The directive, issued by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Sidi Ibrahim, was communicated to chairpersons and members of the affected committees on Saturday.
According to the directive, the decision followed previous instructions by the House leadership for all ad hoc committees to conclude their assignments and submit their reports within the stipulated period.
The development affects committees that were constituted to undertake specific assignments on behalf of the House and were expected to operate only for the duration required to complete their mandates.
Two-week extension had already expired
The Clerk explained that two of the ad hoc committees had previously sought additional time to complete their assignments.
The requests were approved, giving the committees a further two-week grace period to conclude their work and submit the necessary reports.
However, the additional period has now elapsed, leaving the committees without further authority to continue operating under their previous mandates.
The House consequently directed that all activities being conducted in the name of the dissolved committees should stop immediately.
House cites Standing Orders
The directive also referenced Order 18, Rule 11, Paragraph 5 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, which provides for limitations on the time available for committees to submit their reports.
The House leadership stressed that ad hoc committees are established for clearly defined and time-bound responsibilities.
The temporary nature of such committees, it said, means they are not expected to remain in existence indefinitely after the completion of their assignments or expiration of the period granted to them.
The decision is therefore intended to ensure that parliamentary committees operate within the timelines and procedures established by the House.
Outstanding documents to be handed over
As part of the directive, chairpersons of the affected committees have been instructed to forward all outstanding reports and relevant materials to the Office of the Clerk of the House.
The materials include working documents, records and other information connected to the assignments undertaken by the committees.
The directive said the documents would be kept by the Clerk’s office for safekeeping and official record purposes.
The House leadership’s action effectively closes the current cycle of the affected ad hoc committees and reinforces the requirement that temporary parliamentary bodies complete their assignments within approved timelines.
The dissolution, which took effect from Friday, August 28, 2026, means that members of the affected committees are no longer authorised to continue activities under the dissolved committees.
The development also underscores the importance placed by the House leadership on timely reporting, institutional accountability and compliance with its Standing Orders.
Ad hoc committees play an important role in the legislative process by allowing the House to assign specific issues or investigations to groups of lawmakers outside the chamber’s permanent committee structure. However, their mandates remain tied to the purpose for which they were created and the period approved for completing their responsibilities.
With the latest directive, the affected lawmakers are expected to conclude their involvement by submitting any remaining documentation to the Clerk’s office rather than continuing committee activities beyond the approved timeframe.