On July 22, 2026, The Senate has resolved to withhold budgetary allocations and impose strict sanctions on Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that fail to implement its resolutions or ignore legislative directives.
The decision followed the adoption of a comprehensive report presented by the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance, chaired by Senator Garba Maidoki. The report evaluated the implementation status of motions passed by the upper chamber between July 2023 and December 2025, revealing widespread non-compliance and poor responsiveness from executive bodies.
Presenting the findings, Senator Maidoki expressed concern over the persistent disregard for legislative authority, particularly regarding resolutions on critical public interest matters such as road rehabilitation, disaster relief, and human rights enforcement.
Implementation of Senate resolutions is often delayed and sometimes ignored. Many MDA’s fail to provide updates or act on directives, undermining the authority of the legislature and failing the public.
Senator Garba Maidoki.
Key instances of non-compliance highlighted in the report include:
- National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA): Failure to pay ₦200 million recommended compensation and facilitate overseas medical care for the family of two-year-old Eromonsele Omhonria, who was tragically shot in the eye during an operation in Asaba, Delta State, in July 2023.
- Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC): Failure to adhere to the Senate directive requiring the reinstatement of former employee, Engr. Paddy Ukpe.
The committee noted that while some delays stem from budgetary constraints or statutory limitations, several agencies simply refuse to engage with legislative requests.
To enforce compliance, the Senate unanimously voted to sanction non-compliant entities by withholding their future funding allocations. Prominent agencies subject to these measures include:
- Ministries: Works, Health, Power, Petroleum Resources, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Information, Environment, and Solid Minerals Development.
- Agencies & Commissions: Department of State Services (DSS), NDLEA, NRC, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ecological Fund Office, Federal Civil Service Commission, and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Commending the committee’s exhaustive work, Senate President Godswill Akpabio reaffirmed the chamber’s commitment to ensuring executive accountability and enforcing the rule of law across all government institutions before the senate adopted it through a voice vote.
