Tag: Senate

Only ambassadorial nominees with verifiable professional accomplishments and credible public records will scale Senate’s ongoing screening, the Red Chamber said yesterday.

Senate spokesperson, Adeyemi Adaramodu, told reporters at the National Assembly that the upper legislative chamber would prioritise competence and proven capacity over paper qualifications.

According to him, the Senate will rely on “footprints” nominees have left in their careers, public service, or other spheres of life to determine their suitability for diplomatic postings.

He said: “We will rely on the information we have on the nominees to clear them. Even if someone has not held certain positions before, we must see that the person is coming from a background that shows capacity,” he said.

 “Whether as students, in corporate life, or in public service, the public must be able to assess what you stand for and what you can offer. Certificates are only an addendum; they are not the core qualification.”

Adaramodu also dismissed insinuations of a rift between the Senate and the presidency over the recent withdrawal of police orderlies attached to some Very Important Personalities (VIPs), including lawmakers.

He explained that the concern raised on the Senate floor was not opposition to the policy but a demand for fairness in its implementation.

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Adaramodu said: “We don’t have a problem with the decision. What was raised on the floor yesterday was simply that it must apply to everyone equally.

“That was why the Senate President (Godswill Akpabio) asked the Police Affairs Committee to look into it and ensure fairness.”

He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had already provided an alternative security channel for those genuinely in need, noting that lawmakers fully support the directive as long as it is applied systemically and without discrimination.

…As Tinubu forwards 2026–2028 MTEF to Senate

The Senate on Thursday said only ambassadorial nominees with verifiable professional accomplishments and credible public records will scale its ongoing screening exercise.

This is even as President Tinubu has submitted the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) to the Senate, marking the formal commencement of the 2026 budget process.

Senate spokesperson, Adeyemi Adaramodu, told reporters at the National Assembly that the red chamber would prioritise competence and proven capacity over paper qualifications.

According to him, the Senate will rely on “footprints” that nominees have left in their careers, public service, or other spheres of life to determine their suitability for diplomatic postings.

“We will rely on the information we have on the nominees to clear them. Even if someone has not held certain positions before, we must see that the person is coming from a background that shows capacity,” he said.

“Whether as students, in corporate life, or in public service, the public must be able to assess what you stand for and what you can offer. Certificates are only an addendum; they are not the core qualification.”

Adaramodu also dismissed insinuations of a rift between the Senate and the presidency over the recent withdrawal of police orderlies attached to some VIPs, including lawmakers.

He explained that the concern raised on the Senate floor was not opposition to the policy but a demand for fairness in its implementation.

“We don’t have a problem with the decision. What was raised on the floor yesterday was simply that it must apply to everyone equally,” Adaramodu said.

“That was why the Senate President asked the Police Affairs Committee to look into it and ensure fairness.”

He added that President Bola Tinubu had already provided an alternative security channel for those genuinely in need, noting that lawmakers fully support the directive as long as it is applied systemically and without discrimination.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has submitted the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) to the Senate, marking the formal commencement of the 2026 budget process.

In a letter read by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin during plenary, Tinubu said the document outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue outlook and spending priorities that will guide the drafting of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

He noted that the fiscal framework had been approved by the Federal Executive Council on December 3, 2025.

Key parameters approved by the council last week include a crude oil benchmark price of $64.85 per barrel and an exchange rate of ₦1,512/$1 for the 2026 budget cycle.

Jibrin referred the MTEF/FSP to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa, with a mandate to submit its report by December 17.

The Senate later adjourned plenary to allow committees to continue scrutinising the fiscal document while also proceeding with the screening of ambassadorial nominees.

Tinubu had earlier sent the same documents to the House of Representatives, where they were read by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

The MTEF/FSP, as required by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, forms the foundation of Nigeria’s annual budgets and must be approved by the National Assembly before the 2026 Appropriation Bill is presented.

…Senators warn of looming mass failure in 2026 SSCE

The Senate on Tuesday raised serious concerns over what it described as a sudden and poorly planned implementation of a new curriculum and registration guideline by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), summoning the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, alongside heads of key agencies to explain the move.

Lawmakers expressed apprehension that the abrupt policy, slated to take effect in two years, had been prematurely applied to students scheduled for the May/June 2026 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), potentially putting them at risk of widespread failure.

Leading the debate, Senator Karimi Sunday described the directive forcing current SS3 students to follow a curriculum designed for SS1 students as a “policy ambush.”

He noted that subjects such as Computer Studies and Civic Education, previously included in the WAEC syllabus, had been removed, leaving many students with only six examinable subjects instead of the required eight or nine.

“The shift is abrupt and ill-prepared,” Karimi said. “Students who have spent years preparing for these subjects are now being told, at the point of registration, that they no longer exist. This is unacceptable and a recipe for mass failure.”

Karimi argued that the move violates Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which places the welfare of citizens at the heart of governance, and Section 18, which mandates the government to ensure equal and adequate educational opportunities.

In a fiery contribution, Senator Adams Oshiomhole condemned what he termed a “culture of anarchism” in the nation’s policy implementation framework.

“You cannot wake up overnight and say that in June students will be examined in a subject they have not been taught,” he said. “Intentions are not enough. Proper homework must be done.”

He demanded that the Minister of Education and all relevant agencies appear before the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education to provide “concrete evidence of preparedness” before any new curriculum is enforced.

Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule supported the motion, stressing that any curriculum overhaul must pass through the National Council on Education (NCE), which comprises all state commissioners for education.

“It is not something that can be introduced by fiat,” she cautioned, calling for a broader investigation into the entire curriculum review process.

Senator Solomon Adeola warned that many newly introduced subjects, such as cosmetology, garment making, livestock farming, GSM repairs, and solar installation, are skill-based and require specialised equipment that most schools lack.

“You cannot introduce highly practical subjects in schools where there are no workshops, laboratories, or even trained teachers,” he said. “That is setting students up for failure.”

After extensive debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled that the Education Minister and heads of relevant agencies be summoned immediately.

“These are very weighty issues,” Akpabio said. “We cannot risk mass failure in the 2026 WAEC examinations. The relevant committees should invite the Minister immediately and report back within two weeks.”

He noted that the Senate had already agreed that current SS3 students should be exempted from the new guideline, but insisted that comprehensive engagement with the ministry was necessary before any directive becomes final.

The Senate insisted that the matter must be addressed and resolved before the end of the year to protect the academic future of students across the country.

“This is an urgent national concern,” Akpabio stressed. “We must not allow confusion in the education sector to jeopardise the prospects of our children.”