On July 22, 2026, the senate has expressed strong displeasure over the persistent failure of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to implement its legislative resolutions, warning that non-compliant public bodies face potential budgetary sanctions.
The decision followed the formal adoption of a comprehensive report presented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance, Senator Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South). The report evaluated the level of executive adherence to motions passed by the Senate between July 2023 and December 2025, specifically regarding critical sectors such as road infrastructure, disaster relief, public health, and human rights interventions.
Addressing the assembly during plenary, Senator Maidoki disclosed that numerous federal agencies continuously delay or ignore legislative directives, undermining both the authority of the Senate and its constitutional oversight duties.
Implementation of Senate resolutions is often delayed and sometimes ignored. Many MDAs ignore the committee’s requests for compliance information, thereby disregarding the powers of the Committee and the Senate in general.
Senator Maidoki.
Key Non-Compliance Highlighted
The report drew attention to several outstanding directives that remain unexecuted by executive bodies, including:
NDLEA Medical Care & Compensation Case: The failure of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to facilitate overseas medical treatment and execute the Senate’s recommended ₦200 million federal compensation for two-year-old Eromonsele Omhonria, who lost an eye to a stray bullet during an agency operation in Delta State.
Nigerian Railway Corporation Reinstatement: The NRC’s repeated refusal to reinstate former staff member Engr. Paddy Ukpe, despite multiple legislative interventions and resolutions.
The committee identified funding constraints, structural agency limitations, and overly repetitive motions sponsored by lawmakers without thorough preliminary investigations as contributing factors to poor implementation rates.
To enforce accountability, the Senate resolved to consider severe legislative measures including targeted budgetary cuts and administrative sanctions against recalcitrant MDAs during upcoming fiscal cycles.
The list of agencies flagged for compliance review includes:
Federal Ministries: Works, Health, Power, Petroleum Resources, Humanitarian Affairs & Poverty Reduction, Information, Environment, and Solid Minerals Development.
Agencies & Parastatals: FERMA, NDLEA, Nigerian Railway Corporation, FIRS, NCDC, Ecological Fund Office, State Security Services (SSS), Federal Civil Service Commission, and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Following the presentation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the committee’s thoroughness and submitted the report to a voice vote, where it was overwhelmingly adopted by lawmakers.
