As the Senate resumed plenary on Tuesday After 10-week recess, the Nigerian Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio resumed plenary session.
In his opening address on Tuesday, Akpabio urged the lawmakers to recommit themselves to accountability, discipline and purposeful governance.
Akpabio reaffirmed the Senate’s responsibility to the Nigerian people, stating that “To the citizens of Nigeria, we hear you. You asked us not for excuses, but for results. We will remain accountable and responsive”.
The Senate President, who underscored the importance of maintaining order within the legislature, warned against actions that could undermine democratic institutions.
“Those who seek to weaken the legislature seek to delete the structure of democracy itself,” Akpabio declared, just as he also described governance as a “sacred duty of trust and not theatrics.
He called for competence over popularity, saying that ‘If our politics must remain, let us choose the right men for the service of our nation, not the loudest voices or those who seek office as an ornament, but those worthy of the people’s trust”.
Akpabio a also urged swift intervention in the flood disasters affecting various parts of the country, assuring victims that the 10th Senate will not relinquish efforts in addressing the crisis.
On economic matters, Senator Akpabio noted improvements in Nigeria’s oil production, just as he also credited President Bola Tinubu’s administration with stabilizing state finances.
“Today, no state governor is borrowing to pay salaries,” Akpabio said, as he urged lawmakers to enforce fiscal discipline.
Noticeable presence at the Senate chambers on Tuesday was the embattled Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is returning after a six-month suspension.
Recall that Both the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives adjourned for their annual legislative recess in July.
