The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has officially welcomed lawmakers back to the Red Chamber following their legislative recess, delivering a powerful charge to place national interest and patriotism above partisan politics.
In his keynote address marking the resumption of plenary, Senate President Akpabio emphasized that Nigerians expect the National Assembly to confront the nation’s pressing security and economic challenges with courage and purposeful legislation. He urged the Senate to focus on laws that strengthen national security, stimulate economic growth, upgrade healthcare and education, empower the youth, and shield vulnerable citizens.
“Our recess was never an intermission from national service. Parliament may adjourn, but democracy never sleeps,” Akpabio declared. “Great legislatures are not remembered because they met according to schedule; they are remembered because they rose above schedules whenever the nation demanded it. Patriotism chooses duty over personal convenience.”
Reaffirming the Senate’s commitment to reinforcing Nigeria’s security architecture, Akpabio expressed deep concern over ongoing security threats, specifically highlighting the recent abductions of schoolchildren in Ondo State and other citizens held captive by terrorists.
Reflecting on the political activities and party primaries that transpired during the recess, the Senate President called on all political actors to respect constitutional outcomes, stating, “Democracy endures when the nation is valued above victory and ambition bows to the Constitution.”
Senate Probes Governance Failures and ₦943 Million Board Spend at NWDC
In its first major oversight action upon resumption, the Senate has launched a sweeping investigation into severe governance lapses at the North West Development Commission (NWDC).
During an investigative session hosted by the Senate Committee on Regional Development attended by NWDC officials and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, lawmakers uncovered alarming financial abnormalities. Financial records revealed that out of ₦1.19 billion spent by the commission, a staggering ₦943 million (approximately 79%) was allocated strictly to board allowances.
The Senate Committee strongly criticized these administrative lapses, warning that an agency established to combat poverty, insecurity, and infrastructural deficits in the Northwest must not be crippled by financial mismanagement.
Key issues raised by the Senate include:
Disproportionate Spending: The utilization of 79% of the subhead expenditure on board allowances rather than regional development.
Leadership Vacancies: The prolonged delay in appointing Executive Directors, leaving the NWDC as the only regional commission operating without a full executive management team.
Internal Friction: Lingering disputes between the governing board and management regarding office accommodation.
Providing an update on the internal crisis, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, assured the committee that the ministry has intervened in the headquarters dispute in Kano. He disclosed that the Kano State Government has now generously provided a fully furnished office complex, operational vehicles, and a parcel of land to stabilize the commission’s operations.
The Senate has vowed to sustain strict oversight on all regional interventionist agencies to ensure that public funds are utilized efficiently for the development of Nigeria and its people.
