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Tag: NASS

  • Group to NASS: Hold executive accountable on loans, stalled capital projects or resign

    Group to NASS: Hold executive accountable on loans, stalled capital projects or resign

    The Civic Alliance for Fiscal Transparency (CAFT) has challenged members of the National Assembly to either hold the executive accountable over newly approved foreign loans and the delayed rollout of the 2025 capital budget or step down from office.

    In a statement issued on Saturday, CAFT President, Ayodele Olaposi, said Nigerians have grown weary of a legislature that “approves loans with one hand and closes its eyes with the other.”

    He stressed that the responsibility of lawmakers extends beyond passing budgets to ensuring that every loan secured and every naira allocated to capital projects translates into tangible development for citizens.

    Olaposi acknowledged that while the administration of President Bola Tinubu has achieved revenue improvements through fiscal reforms and increased oil earnings, the impact is yet to be felt by ordinary Nigerians due to the slow implementation of the 2025 capital budget.

    “It is unacceptable that after celebrating revenue growth and approving multi-billion-dollar loans, the government still drags its feet on the 2025 capital budget,” he said. 

    “This delay hurts the economy and erodes public confidence. Implementing the budget fully and transparently will prove that this administration is genuinely committed to developing the land and not just managing headlines.”

    CAFT noted that Nigeria’s debt stock has continued to rise, crossing ₦149 trillion in mid-2025, while service obligations now consume over 60 percent of federal revenue. 

    The group warned that without strict legislative oversight, future generations would inherit debts without development.

    “The National Assembly must not become a clearing house for unsustainable borrowing. Every loan approved must be tracked, audited, and tied to measurable impact. The time has come for legislators to justify the trust placed in them or make way for those who will,” Olaposi said. 

    The group urged the federal legislature to compel full disclosure on how the new foreign loans will be spent, project by project, and to ensure that priority is given to infrastructure, job creation, and poverty reduction. 

    It also called for the publication of quarterly progress reports to restore public confidence in fiscal governance.

    “True accountability is not about speeches or committee sittings—it’s about results. When roads are built, when schools function, when hospitals receive equipment, Nigerians will know that governance is working. Until then, every borrowed fund must remain under scrutiny,” the statement added. 

    CAFT reaffirmed its support for responsible fiscal management and lauded the administration’s stated commitment to non-oil revenue growth and local industrialisation. However, it insisted that economic success must translate to social progress.

    “The government must not allow bureaucratic inertia to undermine the promise of reform. We call on lawmakers to stand firm, demand performance, and ensure that the 2025 budget serves its purpose — to rebuild confidence and deliver development for all Nigerians,” the group said.

  • ‘62 steps to pay a contractor’: Ndoma-Egba lays bare NDDC, NASS bureaucracy

    ‘62 steps to pay a contractor’: Ndoma-Egba lays bare NDDC, NASS bureaucracy

    Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has provided a damning insider’s account of the institutional decay plaguing key Nigerian agencies, revealing that a staggering 62-step bureaucratic process was required to pay a single contractor during his tenure as Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    In a revealing interview on The Exchange Podcast, hosted by Femi Soneye, he described how such inefficiency directly breeds corruption, calling it an “opportunistic situation.”

    The former Senate Leader lamented that the NDDC, a “well conceived” intervention, has been rendered ineffective by the abandonment of its foundational master plan and constant political interference. He revealed that his own board was dissolved via a news ticker, without any formal communication, highlighting the instability that hinders proper planning.

    Ndoma-Egba’s critique extended to the National Assembly, an institution he argued is still suffering from the legacy of prolonged military rule. He recalled the public’s perception of the legislature as an unnecessary “irritant,” a sentiment exacerbated by incidents like the “furniture allowance saga,” which he claimed was widely misunderstood by the public.

    Comparing past and present governance, he noted that in 1984, he was appointed a commissioner overseeing a portfolio that would today constitute over twelve ministries. While acknowledging the need to manage the cost of governance, he argued that an excessive cut often sacrifices efficiency at the altar of frugality.

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    He identified a “cultural” problem as the core of Nigeria’s institutional weakness, citing a societal timidity in holding leaders accountable and an unhealthy deference to authority. This cultural shift, he argued, is reflected in the stark contrast between the modest lifestyles of first-generation leaders and the material acquisitions of modern public officers.

    Now serving as Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ndoma-Egba faces a different challenge: managing “supersonic speed” growth. He revealed the 14-year-old institution now has 60,000 students and is the fourth most sought-after university in Nigeria, a success he attributes to a stable academic calendar and strong community relations.

    On Nigeria’s youth bulge, Ndoma-Egba stated that it is only an asset if coupled with education, skills, and opportunity. “If they are not educated, if they are not skilled, if they are not empowered, they become a curse,” he warned, emphasising the need for deliberate youth empowerment policies.

    His vision for the future is a “secure and prosperous Nigeria,” a goal he believes is achievable by learning from the past. He nostalgically recalled a more industrious era with functional factories across the north, a far cry from the current economic landscape.

    Despite the challenges, his personal journey—from a 24-year-old board member to Senate Leader—stands as a testament to the opportunities that can exist for the youth, provided the right environment is created by a purposeful state.

  • Reps Minority leadership crisis: NASS seeks to void suit

    Reps Minority leadership crisis: NASS seeks to void suit

    The National Assembly  has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to strike out a suit filed by the Minority  Leader of the House  of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda seeking to stop the Assembly  from receiving any correspondence targeted at removing him on the ground of his association  with the Minister  of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.

    In their counter claim, the National  Assembly,  Clerk to the National Assembly and Clerk to the House of Representatives  (1st, 2nd and 5th defendants) asked the court to strike out their names from the suit for lack of substance.

    This is contained in a memorandum of conditional appearance over protest filed by Charles Yoila Esq leading six other lawyers from the Department of Litigation  and Counseling of the National Assembly dated 23rd October,  2025, with a 10-paragraph witness statement deposed to Hayatudeen Musa.

    In their joint statement of defence and counterclaim, they admitted that the standing orders of the House of Representatives made provisions  for the procedures for removing any officer of the House, but said they were not in a position to state the position of the minority members.

    They also said that they were not in any position to admit or deny that the majority of the members of the minority parties in the House travelled during the vacation and as such, that there were no majority of members of the minority parties to properly make or seek for change in the minority leadership of the House.

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    “There is no record of any move to remove the plaintiff as Minority Leader  of the House of Representatives  against his constitutional right of association or on the ground claimed by him

    “By our record, there is no move to remove the plaintiff  as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives  arbitrarily. So, injunction  should not be granted against the 1,2 and 5 defendants  in the circumstance as the claim is unfounded and is based on speculations.”

    They argued that the suit disclosed no reasonable  cause of action against them and as such, the action against  them is incompetent  and liable to be dismissed  and struck out, adding that granting any injunction in the circumstance sought would prevent the legislature from performing its constitutional duties  as it would want to when the need arises.

    They asked the court to strike out their names from the suit for none issuance of pre-action notice to them before the institution of the suit, for being improper,  lack of course of action and lack of substance in the suit.They also claimed that the plaintiff’s action against them were speculative, misconceived and incompetent and demanded the sum of N1 million as the cost incurred in the defence of the suit.

  • NASS Joint Committee pushes additional State for South East

    NASS Joint Committee pushes additional State for South East

    The National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review has unanimously endorsed the request for the creation of an additional State in the South East geopolitical zone. 

    The South East is the only zone with five States while others have six States with the exception of the North West with seven States. 

    The lawmakers endorsed the request at a two-day retreat in Lagos, where the committee reviewed 55 proposals for state creation across the country.

    The session, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, and co-chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, deliberated extensively on the matter.

    Kalu and other lawmakers from the South East have consistently championed the demand for an additional state for the region, reiterated that the request was anchored on principles of equity, justice, and fairness.

    Members of the Committee who unanimously approved the request later took turns to deliberate on the issue, speaking in favour of granting the South East an additional state.

    Following the deliberations, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) moved a motion for the creation of the new state, which was seconded by Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka (Ifo/Ewekoro, Ogun State). 

    Read Also: NASS committed to timely, people-focused constitutional amendments – Deputy Senate President

    The motion received the unanimous support of committee members and was adopted.

    In a related development, the joint committee also established a subcommittee to further consider the creation of additional states and local government areas across all six geopolitical zones, noting that a total of 278 proposals were submitted for review.

    IJibrin urged members to rally support among their colleagues at the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to ensure the resolutions sail through during voting.

    “We need to strengthen what we have started so that all parts of the country will key into this process,” Jibrin said. 

    “By the time we get to the actual voting, we should already have the buy-in of all stakeholders—from both chambers and the State Houses of Assembly.”

  • Reps Minority Leadership crisis: NASS seeks to void suit, denies alleged plot

    Reps Minority Leadership crisis: NASS seeks to void suit, denies alleged plot

    The National Assembly has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to strike out a suit filed by the Minority  Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, seeking to stop the Assembly from receiving any correspondence seeking to remove him on the ground of his association with the Minister of the FCT.

    In their counter claim, the National  Assembly, Clerk to the National Assembly and Clerk to the House of Representatives  (1st, 2nd and 5th defendants) asked the court to strike out their names from the suit for lack of substance.

    This is contained in a memorandum of conditional appearance over protest filed by Charles Yoila Esq leading six other lawyers from the Department of Litigation and Counseling of the National Assembly dated 23rd October,  2025, with a 10 paragraph witness statement deposed to Hayatudeen Musa.

    In their joint statement of defence and counterclaim, they admitted that the standing orders of the House of Representatives makes provisions for the procedures for removing any officer of House, but said they were not in a position to state the position of the minority members of the House.

    They also said that they were not in any position to admit or deny that the majority of the members of the minority parties in the House travelled during the vacation and as such, there was no majority of members of the minority parties to properly make or seek for change in the minority leadership of the House.

    “There is no record of any move to remove the plaintiff as Minority Leader  of the House of Representatives  against his constitutional right of association or on the ground claimed by him

    “By our record, there is no move to remove the plaintiff minority leader of the House of Representatives  arbitrarily. So, injunction  should not be granted against the 1,2 an 5 defendants  in the circumstance as the claimed is unfounded and is based on speculations,” the claimed. 

    Read Also: Constitution Review: NASS scrutinises requests for 59 states, 278 LGAs

    They argued that the suit disclosed no reasonable  cause of action against them and as such, the action against  them is incompetent  and liable to dismissed  and struck out, adding that granting any injunction in the circumstance sought would prevent the legislature from performing its constitutional duties  as it would want to when the need arises.

    They asked the court to strike out their names from the suit for none issuance of pre action notice to them before the institution of the suit, for being improper,  lack of course of action and lack of substance in the suit.

    They also claimed that the plaintiff action against them were speculative, misconceived, incompetent and demanded the sum of N1m as the cost incurred in the defence of the suit.

  • NASS committed to timely, people-focused constitutional amendments – Deputy Senate President

    NASS committed to timely, people-focused constitutional amendments – Deputy Senate President

    Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin has reiterated the National Assembly’s commitment to delivering people-centred and timely amendments to the 1999 Constitution.

    Setting the tone for the two-day joint retreat of the Senate and the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Lagos, he appealed to the lawmakers to work towards attaining the promise made to transmit the first set of amendments to the State Houses of Assembly this year.

    The retreat was organised to allow members of the joint committees to review the proposed amendments “clause-by-clause.”

    A total of 69 bills, 55 state creation requests, two boundary adjustments, and 278 local government creation requests will be considered during the retreat. 

    ” It has been a long journey to bring the Senate and the House of Representatives Constitution Amendment proposals that cut across several sections and dealing with different subject matters.

    “We have been in this process for the past two years, engaging our constituents, critical stakeholders, institutions, civil society organizations and interest groups; in town hall meetings, interactive sessions and public hearings, harvesting and synthesizing views and perspectives which has ultimately culminated to what we have here today – 69 bills, 55 state creations requests, two boundary adjustment and 278 Local Government creation requests,”  Senator Barau was quoted in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir. 

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    As chair of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Barau emphasised that they are expected to resolve these issues and make recommendations to their colleagues in both chambers.

    ” It is not going to be a simple task to achieve within two days, but I believe we can do it, especially as we have promised Nigerians that we will deliver the first set of amendments to the State Houses of Assembly before the end of this year.

    “I believe we can deliver on this promise if we engage the bills and the issues with open minds. I acknowledge we represent constituents with diverse ethnic, religious and socio-economic cleavages through different political platforms, but the Constitution is the grundnorm for Nigerian citizens and nationhood which we must approach with patriotism and nationalism as higher shared goals,” said.

    Senator Barau, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged lawmakers to focus on what best serves the citizens of Nigeria and avoid competitive debates.

     “We are seated here as one Committee. There should be no “we” and “them”; we should be guided by the interests of Nigerians. I wish all of us a very fruitful deliberation and hope for recommendations that will meet the approval threshold of the provisions of section 9 of the Constitution,” he said.

  • NASS single-day elections proposal, good but…

    NASS single-day elections proposal, good but…

    Sir: Election is a process governed by the law and its conduct must be both credible and reliable to be accepted by all and sundry. The ongoing electoral reforms is a timely constitutional exercise which, if well-handled and expeditiously executed, could impact positively on the conduct of the 2027 forthcoming elections.

    With a little more than two years to 2027, the National Assembly, (NASS) must work assiduously round the clock to pass the electoral bill and also obtain the presidential assent for the bill to become law before the 2027 elections.

    The current exercise is historic in the sense that this is the first time that such exercise is holding great promises especially for people hitherto constitutionally long forgotten like women, persons living with disabilities, traditional rulers and host of hoi-polloi who receive paucity of attention and care from relevant authorities.

    The single-day elections mooted by the NASS, strikes the right constitutional cord if all attempts could be made by the relevant stakeholders and authorities to make such constitutional proposal a reality. Apart from reducing elections costs, it will also reduce or eliminate outright, the constitutional infractions usually associated with the conduct of scattered elections for president, governors and the assemblies at the federal and state levels.

    For example, in a scattered election, once a political party wins the presidency, it automatically has band wagon effects for all other elections, be it governorship or the assemblies, as no community would want to be in the opposition party to the president.

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    Yet, the single-day elections as proposed by NASS is a gargantuan task which come with its great responsibilities both on their part, and more importantly on the INEC the electoral umpire.

    For most of the complaints of the past about elections are more of poor preparations and abysmal conducts than outright rigging by hoodlums or frausters. The problem of INEC is not just in staff strength, but more especially in the skills, competencies and attitudinal disposition of officials to treat election success as part of the duties they owe their organization and the nation.

    Poverty of ideas and purposes of an election by INEC officials constitutes the gravest problem facing INEC and for a proposal of a single day elections to be a reality, the NASS must be ready to empower INEC by way of training and infrastructural allocation to the body.

    NASS must also endeavour that all relevant stakeholders like the National Orientation Agency (NOA), radio and television organizations and the mass media generally are involved in enlightenment campaign to sensitize the generality of the people from now on until the 2027 general elections.

    Above all, 2027 may seem still far but except greater care is taken and NASS really speed up, it may be impossible to conclude the ongoing reforms, let alone have a bill to present to the president for assent for such proposal of a single day elections.

    This notwithstanding, it is a good idea and whether for 2027 or the future, the idea of a single-day elections must be pursued until it becomes a constitutional reality and a check against perceived electoral infractions of the past.

    •Sunday Olagunju, Ibadan, Oyo State.

  • NASS, REA, young innovators partner for technology ecosystem dialogue

    NASS, REA, young innovators partner for technology ecosystem dialogue

    The National Assembly, in collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under the Federal Ministry of Power and Young Innovators of Nigeria (YIN), is set to host the 3rd Edition of the Technology Ecosystem Dialogue (TED 2025) in Abuja.

    Scheduled for September 26 at the NAF Conference Centre, the event will focus on the theme: “Green Tech and Energy Solutions: Transforming Business and Societies in Nigeria.”

    Organisers said TED 2025 will provide a platform for innovators, policymakers, investors, and thought leaders to explore Nigeria’s renewable energy future and the deployment of technology-driven solutions.

    Highlighting Africa’s renewable energy potential—solar, wind, and hydro—the organisers noted that the continent can leverage these resources to drive inclusive growth, create jobs, and strengthen its position as a global climate leader.

    “For Nigerian youth, the green economy is a gateway to innovation, startups, agritech, digital infrastructure, and energy access”, the founder of YIN, Mr Abu Andrew, said.

    Speaking with our Correspondent on the programme, Mr Andrew said, “TED 2025 is more than a Conference. It is a rallying call for young Africans to seize the green energy revolution as a generational opportunity. Green Tech is about jobs, resilient businesses, and securing Africa’s place in a sustainable digital economy “.

    Mr Andrew announced that the event would feature” Innovation Panels & Policy Dialogues on energy access, AI & blockchain in energy, and youth-driven green innovation.”

    Others are National Innovation Hackathon 2025, co-hosted with REA and NASENI, with a submission deadline being September 23, 2025, and Final Showcase: September 26, 2025

  • Prove Nigeria’s commitment to global treaties, pass reserved seats bill, NCWS tells NASS

    Prove Nigeria’s commitment to global treaties, pass reserved seats bill, NCWS tells NASS

    The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has challenged the National Assembly to prove Nigeria’s commitment to global treaties on women by passing the bill seeking reserved seats for women.

    The National President of the NCWS, Princess Edna Azura threw the challenge during a reception organised for her in Yola by her kith and kin in Adamawa State, saying that by delaying passage of the reserved seats bill, Nigeria is making the world ask questions about the genuineness of its signature on world treaties on women empowerment.

    She said, “Nigeria has signed every treaty at the international level promoting the visibility of women at all levels. How will the rest of the world see us if locally we are so lowly represented in governance?”

    She expressed regret that currently only 17 women are in the House of Representatives which has 360 seats; and only four women in the 109-member Senate.

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    “Out of the 36 state houses of assembly around the country, 15 do not have any female member,” she lamented, urging the National Assembly to pass the reserved seats bill to correct the situation.

    The reserved seats bill in view seeks to amend the Constitution of Nigeria to reserve seats for women in both the National Assembly and state houses of assembly to address underrepresentation of women by creating special constituencies exclusively contested for by women.

    The bill proposes one additional senator for each state and the FCT, with each woman contesting this reserved seat; while in the House of Representatives, the bill seeks one additional female member for each state and the FCT.

    In each state House of Assembly, one additional female member is proposed to be elected from each of the three senatorial districts, resulting in three reserved female seats per state.

  • BREAKING: NASS beefs up security over Natasha’s planned resumption

    BREAKING: NASS beefs up security over Natasha’s planned resumption

    There is increased security presence in and around the National Assembly Complex over the plan by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s plan to resume plenary today.

    The security, comprising operatives of the Department of State Services, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps among others are highly visible at the main gate of the National Assembly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), annex gate Villa gates into the complex.

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    The Nation observed that all vehicles bound for the National Assembly are being thoroughly frisked and those who could not produce their Identification Cards were denied entrance.

    Details shortly…