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Tag: Senate

  • BREAKING: Senate endorses Rivers 2025 Budget for second reading through voice vote

    BREAKING: Senate endorses Rivers 2025 Budget for second reading through voice vote

    The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, endorsed the Rivers State 2025 budget for its second reading.

    The budget, amounting to ₦1,480,662,592,442 trillion, was passed for the second reading following its presentation by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Bamidele Opeyemi.

    Senator Opeyemi stated that the Senate has taken on the responsibility of legislating for Rivers State due to its current State of Emergency status.

    In his remarks, Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan emphasised the urgency of legislating the budget so that the citizens of Rivers State could experience the government’s presence.

    He said, “Mr President, I don’t know under what topic this document is christened but I could see it is about a budget of the state of emergency.

    “I hereby support that the budget be passed for second reading so that the people of Rivers can feel the presence of government.”

    In the absence of opposition to the bill, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, passed the budget through voice vote and referred it to the Ad-hoc Committee on overseeing Rivers State of Emergency.

  • Senate Leader slams opposition for labelling NASS rubber stamp

    Senate Leader slams opposition for labelling NASS rubber stamp

    …insists we held 39 meetings with executive before passing tax reforms bills

    Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele on Sunday opposed key opposition parties in the country for labelling the National Assembly a rubber-stamp parliament without any justification or proof.

    Bamidele, currently representing Ekiti Central, said if the National Assembly was actually a rubber-stamp, it could not have held over 39 meetings with the executive arm to trash out all grey areas in the Tax Reform Bills, 2024 before they were eventually passed.

    These were revealed in a statement released by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Leader of the Senate on Sunday, x-raying diverse interventions that the National Assembly had taken in the overriding public interest.

    The National Assembly had, at its inauguration on the 13th June 2023, embraced strategic engagement and partnership to address thorny national issues in the pursuit of the country’s vital and peripheral interests.

    Despite its non-adversarial approach to the legislative business, the parliament has been under sustained public criticisms with leading opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democracy Party, Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party describing it as a rubber-stamp legislative institution.

    Amid the public criticisms, Bamidele differed with the opposition parties that the National Assembly was still a rubber stamp to the executive, noting that the claim had no justification.

    Bamidele first cited the case of the Tax Reform Bills, 2024, which he said, were initiated in November 2024, but finally scaled through legislative scrutiny six months after they were laid before the National Assembly.

    He, thus, argued: “If we are actually a rubber-stamp parliamentary institution as most opposition political parties have claimed, the bills would have been passed within one week or two weeks after they were laid before us.

    “In the process of passing the bills, both executive and legislative arms held over 39 engagements to trash grey areas in the Tax Reform Bills, 2024 before both chambers of the National Assembly eventually passed the bills.

    “During this period, the engagements involved diverse interests and stakeholders across the federation. The tax reform bills could have been rushed within one or two weeks. But it took us six months to secure input from all critical stakeholders – civil society organisations, professional bodies, religious leaders and leaders of thoughts.

    “The process includes all behind-the-scenes efforts, closed door meetings and subtle disagreements that took place between the legislature and the executive before their passage. We also organised public hearings just to accommodate inputs from diverse interests.

    “We extended our engagements to all captains of industries to enable us pass the tax reform bills that will stand the test of time; meet the needs of our people and ensure the overriding public interest in the exercise of our constitutional mandates.

    “At the end of it, we found a way of resolving all issues around the tax reform bills in the overriding public interest. But people do not know all the efforts and sacrifices we made to ensure the effective delivery of public goods. They were only eager to label us a rubber stamp when the bills came from the executive.”

    Rather than grandstanding on the floors, Bamidele explained that the National Assembly at different times invited the Executive for engagement with a view to thrashing out grey areas in the bills.

    He, also, cited the case of the 2025 Appropriation Act, which according to him, was laid before the joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, 18th December 2024, but passed on February 13, 2025.

    He explained that if the National Assembly was actually a rubber stamp, it could have hastened the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bills by the end of the 2024 fiscal year in order to sustain the January to December budget cycle, which had become the country’s practice in recent times.

    : “We did not give the budget back to the executive until February 2025. We did a lot of due diligence. Every committee of the National Assembly duly engaged heads of agencies to properly scrutinise the budget also in the overriding public interest.

    “We are working in the interest of the people. We are always taking into consideration the need to ensure good governance in all our undertakings and the need to use legislative frameworks to promote good governance in the federation,” Bamidele explained.

  • Senate passes Bill for establishment of Federal Medical Centre Gembu

    Senate passes Bill for establishment of Federal Medical Centre Gembu

    The Nigerian Senate has passed the Federal Medical Centre Act (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to establish a Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Gembu, Taraba State.

    The bill, which was passed on Wednesday is sponsored by Senator Haruna Manu representing Taraba Central Senatorial District.

    The Bill seeks to amend the Federal Medical Centres Act, 2022 to establish additional Federal Medical Centres, 2025

    This bill maybe cited as the Federal Medical Centress Act, (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

    This marks a major legislative milestone for Taraba State and the entire North East geo-political zone.

    Senator Manu described the passage of the bill as a breakthrough for a region that has long suffered poor access to quality medicare.

    He explained that the people of Gembu and surrounding communities are forced to travel to Jalingo, Yola, Gombe, or even Cameroon for advanced medical services, leading to financial strain and high mortality rates due to delays but with this development, medicare is now within the reach for Taraba Central.

    Senator Manu hails his colleagues for the support towards the passage of the Bill.

    The bill will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to the President for assent.

  • Senate Passes Bill for Establishment of Federal Medical Centre in Oleh

    Senate Passes Bill for Establishment of Federal Medical Centre in Oleh

    The Nigerian Senate has passed the Federal Medical Centre Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (SB. 197), which seeks to establish a Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Oleh, Delta State.

    The passage of the bill, sponsored by Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas representing Delta South Senatorial District, marks a major legislative milestone for the oil-rich region, particularly the Isoko nation.

    The bill was initially presented on November 7, 2023, and passed its second reading on October 22, 2024. Following its third reading today, the Senate approved the legislation, paving the way for the creation of the first federally funded medical centre in the district.

    Senator Joel-Onowakpo described the passage of the bill as a “major turnaround” for a region that has long grappled with inadequate access to quality healthcare.

    “Oleh, as the senatorial headquarters, is strategically located to serve the surrounding communities. The new FMC will help reduce the burden of long-distance travel for specialist medical care, which often leads to delayed treatments and preventable deaths.”

    The new facility is expected not only to bolster the region’s healthcare infrastructure but also to stimulate economic development.

    According to the Senator, the centre will generate direct and indirect jobs, attract healthcare professionals, promote research and training, and improve overall public health outcomes.

    He expressed gratitude to the Senate leadership, including Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, and Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, for their support in advancing the bill.

    “This is a critical step toward equity in federal healthcare infrastructure,” he added. “It reflects our collective will to bring meaningful development to Delta South and ensure our people’s needs are addressed at the national level.”

    Senator Joel-Onowakpo reaffirmed his commitment to seeing the bill through to implementation, promising continued advocacy to ensure the timely establishment and operation of the medical centre.

    The bill will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to the President for assent.

  • Senate summons NAFDAC over chemical ripening of fruits

    Senate summons NAFDAC over chemical ripening of fruits

    Senate on Wednesday summoned National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to explain unchecked use of harmful chemicals by fruit vendors to hasten the ripening of fruits.

    This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Sen. Anthony Ani (APC-Ebonyi) during plenary in Abuja.

    The motion is titled “Urgent Need to Investigate and Halt the Continuous Unwholesome Practice of Chemical Ripening of Fruits in Nigeria.”

    Ani lamented that the increasing trend of chemically-induced ripening, is a “dangerous deviation from natural ways for fruits to ripen”.

    He explained that while fruits which naturally ripped have better sweetness, texture and nutritional content, many vendors now turned to harmful agents to force the process and improve appearance for commercial gains.

    “Ethylene and methyl jasmonate may be considered relatively safe,” Ani noted.

    He, however, added that, the problem lies with the widespread use of substances like calcium carbide, ethephon and ethylene glyco-chemicals laced with toxic residues including lead and arsenic.

    The lawmaker warned that these substances are known to cause severe health problems such as cancer, kidney damage, liver failure, neurological disorders and in extreme cases, death.

    Ani attributed the spread of the practice to profit-driven motives and lack of awareness among fruit vendors.

    “People are unknowingly eating poison masked in the form of ripened fruits,” he said.

    The senator also criticised the failure of regulatory enforcement by relevant agencies, stating that many countries have outlawed such chemicals, while Nigeria lagged behind in implementing effective measures.

    The Senate, however, resolved for NAFDAC management to appear before the Committees on Health and Agriculture to detail it on its current interventions and outline future steps to combat chemical ripening;

    The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) were directed to investigate the matter and initiate urgent action.

    It also mandated NAFDAC and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), to increase public education on the health risks associated with artificially ripened fruits;

    The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and Nigerian Customs Service were  equally tasked with stricter inspections on imported fruits especially apples to ensure they are free of harmful preservatives;

    The Senate Committee on Legal Matters was instructed to begin reviewing existing laws to introduce stiffer penalties for violators.

    The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio stressed that safeguarding public health must remain a top priority.

    He warned that the country’s fruit markets must not become breeding grounds for toxic substances disguised as fresh produce.

  • Akpabio: Senator Natasha petitions IG over s3xual harassment

    Akpabio: Senator Natasha petitions IG over s3xual harassment

    Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of masterminding a coordinated smear campaign aimed at discrediting her and silencing her s3xual harassment allegations.

    In the petition submitted through her legal team led by Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan alleges that her safety, reputation, and political career are under attack in what she describes as a “malicious campaign of criminal defamation, cyber-stalking, conspiracy, and attempted assassination” engineered by the Senate President.

    The petition, supported by what her lawyers described as “incontrovertible evidence from public broadcasts, witness testimonies, media reports, and expert analyses,” claims the retaliatory campaign began shortly after the senator publicly accused Akpabio of sexual harassment on national television on February 28, 2025.

    “In the weeks following our client’s suspension from the Senate, a previously unknown individual styling herself as ‘Professor Mgbeke’ began publishing sympathetic commentaries on Facebook… however, what followed shocked our client,” the petition reads.

    “Immediately after our client declined any form of transactional engagement, ‘Prof. Mgbeke’ began what evolved into a deliberate, malicious and coordinated campaign of character assassination.”

    According to the petition, the woman behind the online persona “Prof. Mgbeke” was later identified as Dr. Sandra Chidinma Duru, a Nigerian resident in Texas. Senator Natasha claimed she only discovered Duru’s true identity after a live broadcast on May 1, 2025, and subsequent journalistic investigations.Nigerian fashion

    “She had never heard the name Sandra Duru until law enforcement officers requested she identify her. The deception, the manipulation of public sentiment, and the ultimate betrayal formed the foundation of a well-orchestrated campaign designed to destroy our client’s public image,” the petition notes.

    The petition directly links Senator Akpabio to Dr. Duru’s alleged smear campaign, citing a revealing May 1 broadcast in which Duru inadvertently exposed her phone’s call log. The log allegedly contained saved contacts such as “My Daddy Directline,” “IGP Kayode,” “Senator Akpabio” (with two different numbers), and “Oby Ndukwe,” among others.

    “These are not coincidences,” the petition argues. “The presence of these names, particularly those occupying high-level positions within Nigeria’s security architecture, strongly suggests that Senator Akpabio and Dr. Duru were acting in concert, possibly with the support or knowledge of certain police officials.”Nigerian fashion

    A key figure mentioned in the petition is Monday Ubani, SAN, a Senior Legislative Aide and legal counsel for Senator Akpabio, who reportedly praised “Prof. Mgbeke” after her broadcast despite widespread public condemnation of its content.

    “Mr. Ubani’s eulogy, when viewed alongside the call log linking ‘Prof. Mgbeke’ to Senator Akpabio, suggests insider awareness and tacit approval from Akpabio’s inner circle,” the petition adds.

    In one of the most disturbing parts of the broadcast, Duru allegedly accused Senator Natasha of being part of a conspiracy to “remove the Yoruba government,” a claim the petition describes as not just defamatory, but treasonous.

    “This assertion, by its very nature, imputes that our client was involved in a plot against the executive arm of the Federal Government… The deliberate use of ethnic framing was meant to incite national disaffection and trigger security backlash against her,” the petition warns.

    The legal team noted that Dr. Duru’s sudden hostility began when the senator refused her demands for financial compensation under the guise of managing her public image.

    The petition states that “Duru demanded to be paid for what she portrayed as a capacity to ‘frame narratives’ and rally digital support,” but after Natasha declined, Duru shifted to threats and character attacks.

    Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was controversially suspended from the Senate in March 2025 for six months, officially over alleged misconduct and a dispute involving seating arrangements. However, critics described the suspension as a politically motivated attempt to suppress her sexual harassment claims.

    “The backdrop of this case is one of personal grievance: Senator Akpabio, feeling aggrieved and ‘traumatised’ by the public accusation, had clear motive to retaliate and discredit Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in any way possible,” the petition argues.

    Central to the accusations is Dr. Duru’s Facebook broadcast aired on May 1, 2025. The broadcast, which lasted over an hour, was described in the petition as a “classic case of criminal defamation and cyberstalking,” packed with “outrageous false allegations” crafted to incite hatred and justify retribution against the senator.

    “These utterances flagrantly violate Section 391(1) of the Penal Code (Criminal Defamation) and Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes Act (Cyberstalking),” the petition states. It further claimed that Duru’s actions were neither isolated nor accidental, but rather the “product of a coordinated effort involving Senator Akpabio and his political and security network.”

    According to the petition, Duru’s claim that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was plotting to overthrow the Nigerian government was among the most explosive falsehoods. It noted that Duru accused her of scheming to remove Senate President Akpabio to dismantle what she termed “the Yoruba government.”Nigerian fashion

    The petition flatly denied this allegation and referred to it as an “ethnic incitement strategy” designed to provoke national outrage and state repression.

  • Recruitment: Senate to tackle MDAs not complying with federal character

    Recruitment: Senate to tackle MDAs not complying with federal character

    Senate on Wednesday, promised to expose violators of federal character system of recruiting into Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    Sen. Allwell Onyesoh (PDP- Rivers) said this at an investigative hearing on Violation of the Federal Character System on recruitment across the various MDAs.

    Onyesoh urged the MDAs not to hide any documents needed for the investigation .

    “As enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Federal Character Principle is fundamental to our national cohesion.

    “It mandates that governance must reflect the diversity of our federation to prevent domination by any one group or region.

    “Sadly, systemic abuse and ineffective enforcement have made this principle more honoured in the breach than in observance,” the senator said.

    Onyesoh said that persistent and non-compliance by many MDAs on   recruitment and infrastructure allocation had fueled marginalisation and deepened discontent.

    “The Federal Character Commission, despite its legal powers, has tried  with enforcement.

    “This development calls for urgent reforms, possibly including a Federal Character Compliance Tribunal to ensure that violations are meaningfully addressed.

    “This committee will pursue the federal  character mandate through rigorous investigative hearings, interactive sessions, and, where necessary, on-the-spot assessments,” the senator said

    The senator  stressed  that the approach was not punitive, but corrective.

    “We aim to foster accountability, reinforce equity, and restore trust in our national institutions.

    “We call on all stakeholders, MDAs, civil society, and the public to support this process

    “Full cooperation is expected and the committee will not hesitate to invoke its constitutional powers under Sections 88 and 89 where necessary,” the senator said .

    He said President Bola Tinubu was in support of the planned investigation , warning that ” those aiming to hide behind or under the presidency would be disappointed as time to account for their misdeeds has come ” .

    The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Sen.Simon Lalong (APC -Plateau), in his remarks, said the committee was all out to stop the violation in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians .

    According to him, the first set of agencies that will face the committee for the investigation from Monday are the Federal Character Commission , Federal Civil Service , Nigerian Ports Authority , National Pension Commission , Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) among others.

    NAN reports that the Federal Character principle in Nigeria is enshrined in Section 14(3) and 14(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

    It mandates that the composition of the government and its agencies, at both the federal and state levels, must reflect the diversity of the country and ensure no single ethnic group or state dominates.

    The principle aims to promote national unity, loyalty, and a sense of belonging for all citizens which however, been grossly violated by public officers at both the federal and State levels over the years.

    Senate had also in plenary on Tuesday after exhaustive debate on motion sponsored by its minority whip, Sen.Osita Ngwu (PDP -Enugu ) , mandated its Committee on Federal Character to investigate violation of the principle across the various MDAs.

  • Ex-Lawmaker criticizes planned security summit, calls it wasteful

    Ex-Lawmaker criticizes planned security summit, calls it wasteful

    A former member of the House of Representatives, Professor Haruna Yerima, has condemned the National Security Summit proposed by the National Assembly, calling it a misuse of public resources and time.

    Yerima’s remarks come just two days after the federal government, through Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, pledged its full support for the summit—despite Badaru himself previously dismissing the idea as unnecessary.

    In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, Yerima, a senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described the planned two-day summit as nothing more than a “tea party,” unlikely to yield any tangible solutions to Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.

    He recalled that a similar summit held in 2021 by the 9th National Assembly under then Senate President Ahmad Lawan and House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila produced no meaningful outcomes. “Most of the recommendations from that summit have since been ignored, with no white paper issued or legislative action taken,” he said.

    Yerima argued that what Nigeria needs is not more speeches from politicians and academics, but strong political will, enhanced intelligence networks, inter-agency cooperation, and a well-equipped, motivated military.

    He emphasized that the National Assembly should focus on its core constitutional duties: funding and overseeing security agencies, and holding officials accountable for continued failures despite billions spent on defence in the past decade.

    “Nigerians are tired of endless rhetoric. They want action. Another summit won’t stop the latest Boko Haram attacks in places like Marte, Rann, Gajiram, and Dikwa. Only a new strategy and firm commitment from the armed forces can do that,” he stated.

    Yerima urged lawmakers to use their oversight powers to push for real change in the country’s security architecture, including better training, morale, and intelligence capabilities for the armed forces.

    Meanwhile, the Senate held an interactive session on Wednesday with stakeholders from the ICT, telecommunications, and security sectors to shape the agenda for the upcoming summit. The session, led by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity and chaired by Senator Afolabi Shuaib, was opened by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.

    Senator Shuaib noted the dual nature of technology—driving progress while also enabling crimes like kidnapping and cyber fraud. “If we don’t act now, we’ll be chasing shadows at the summit,” he warned.

    Senator Bamidele added that integrating digital safety is key to unlocking the full benefits of the “Renewed Hope Agenda.”

    Senator Ned Nwoko questioned the absence of major social media companies like Facebook and Instagram at the session, asking whether requiring them to establish offices in Nigeria could improve data access and crime tracking.

    The session aimed to identify gaps, gather expert insights, and refine the goals of the national security summit.

  • Senate confirms 5 INEC RECs

    Senate confirms 5 INEC RECs

    The Senate has confirmed the appointment of five Resident Electoral Commissioners of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Their confirmation followed the presentation of the report of Committee on INEC at plenary on Wednesday.

    The report was presented by Chairman of the committee, Sen. Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau).

    The RECs confirmed were: Umar Garba, representing Kano, Sa’ad Idris (Bauchi) and Chukwemeka Ibeziako (Anambra), Umar Mukhtar (Borno) and Dr Johnson Sinkiem (Bayelsa).

    Lalong, in his presentation, said that the committee considered the resume, work experiences and career progression of the nominees during their screening.

    He said that the nominees responded to questions successfully, adding that they were all qualified for the appointment.

    “After carefully scrutinising all the relevant documents of the nominees and due consideration of their levels of exposure, experiences, performances, qualifications and integrity, this committee hereby recommends that senate confirm the nominees,” he said.

  • Senate urges Military to reinforce troops in Borno, Yobe to counter Boko Haram resurgence

    Senate urges Military to reinforce troops in Borno, Yobe to counter Boko Haram resurgence

    The Nigerian Senate has called on the military to urgently deploy more personnel—fully equipped and strategically positioned to Borno and Yobe states in the North-East to tackle the renewed threat posed by Boko Haram insurgents.

    This appeal followed the killing of 12 soldiers by insurgents in Marte, Borno State, and was made during Tuesday’s plenary session. The Senate also directed its Committees on Army and Air Force to oversee and ensure compliance with the directive.

    The resolution stemmed from a motion titled “The Resurgence of Boko Haram in Borno and Yobe,” moved by Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno), and co-sponsored by lawmakers representing the affected states.

    In presenting the motion, Senator Monguno recalled that just a few years ago, Boko Haram had control over two-thirds of Borno’s Local Government Areas. However, combined efforts by the military and the Civilian Joint Task Force eventually reclaimed those territories and restored a degree of peace in both Borno and Yobe.

    He explained that after this progress, the military shifted its tactical command to the North-West to address rising cases of kidnapping and banditry. Unfortunately, this redeployment has coincided with a resurgence of Boko Haram activities in the North-East, including the deadly May 12 attack in Marte.

    Senator Monguno raised alarm over the group’s renewed strength and evolving tactics, including the use of drones for surveillance and attacks, as well as the planting of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which cause significant casualties and disrupt transportation.

    He stressed the urgent need for the military to return in full force to the North-East, with advanced technology and necessary equipment to combat the insurgents’ growing sophistication.

    “A robust military presence in the North-East is critical to containing the renewed threat of Boko Haram,” he emphasized.

    Following the debate, the Senate adopted the motion’s two resolutions through a voice vote presided over by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau.