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Akpabio, Lawan, Ndume Throw Nigerian Senate Into Rowdy Session Over N23Trillion Ways & Means Funds Approved By 9th Assembly
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The Nigerian Senate was thrown into a rowdy session on Wednesday by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediate past Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume.
There was a mild drama in the Red Chamber as the Senate leaders disagreed over the N23 trillion Ways & Means funds approved by the 9th Assembly under the leadership of former Senate President, Lawan.
Addressing the Senate on the report of the Senate Committee set up to probe the Ways & Means funds approved by the 9th Assembly for former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Akpabio said what the Senate did under the leadership of Lawan had thrown Nigeria into a more economic mess.
Directly asking Lawan to speak on the issue, Akpabio said, “We are saying what you did at that time has put the nation in more mess economically. Therefore, because of the current economic situation we have found ourselves, there is the need for us to look at the details to know whether they were rightly spent.”
Lawan said there is nothing that the National Assembly that makes laws cannot look into and review.
He said that if there were expenditures wrongly done in contradiction to the provision of the constitution, the National Assembly could look at the expenditures and if sanctions were needed for unlawful actions or unauthorised expenditures, the National Assembly would provide the sanctions.
The former Senate President argued: “What the 9th National Assembly approved or rectified in terms of Ways & Means was not N29 trillion or N30 trillion, it was N22 trillion. But there was N819 billion to attend to, deal with and address very serious infrastructure dilapidations that we had across the country.
“If we have a Ways & Means that is N30 trillion today, that means something happened between then and now, and it is for the National Assembly to find out what happened.”
Lawan insisted that nobody in the chamber should suggest that the Assembly should not look into what they feel is in the public interest, “but what Nigerians want today is food and security”.
“This (Ways & Means issue) belongs to the medium or long-term action that we need to take. How are we going to provide food for Nigerians and protect their lives?
“Let us not put the cart before the horse. Let’s consider it necessary to look at what happened in the past, but we in the present and the present is so unpleasant and we have to act very swiftly,” he said.
Responding to Lawan’s submission, Akpabio said, “Even though the Ways & Means were part of the things that put us where we are today, we are saying that expenses that were not explained, that we don’t have details about put us in the indebtedness that we are seeing today.”
Akpabio noted that it has affected the ability of the government to provide essential needs and services to Nigerians and that the National Assembly needs to look into it.
He however agreed that Nigerians are currently faced with a food crisis and they need to act immediately to put food on the table of Nigerians.
Akpabio said, “What we got to N30 trillion was because of the interest element. They brought that before this current Senate, that the interest has accrued to the N23 trillion that was passed by the 9th Senate and that they needed additional N7 trillion which was the interest. We passed the interest and that is what was added to make it N30 trillion.”
Speaking further, Akpabio confronted the Senate Chief Whip, Ndume, that he was part of the 9th Senate that approved the Ways & Means, but Ndume quickly denied being involved in its approval.
Ndume said, “I was not there; check the record. You cannot approve illegality. What they did was illegal. The Senate doesn’t have the right, let it be on record.”
Ndume’s denial of being part of lawmakers who approved the Ways & Means in the 9th Senate threw the session into rowdiness as some of the lawmakers insisted that Ndume was involved.
Ndume argued that the Senate only has the right of approval but doesn’t have the right to rectify when money has been spent.
“We don’t have the right to rectify, we only have the right to approve,” he said.
He further said that the 9th Senate only approved N819 billion and that the details of other funds that had been spent should be provided.
He said, “It has never been provided till date. This committee should find out what happened to the money. People must be held responsible and they should come and explain to this Senate what they did with the money. Now is the time that people are looking for their money everywhere, where is that money?”
Akpabio sarcastically said, “I want you to know that Senator Ndume cannot remember being there when the thing happened.”
The Senate President said that what the Senators from the 9th Senate were saying was that the total amount of N30 trillion was brought before them for approval, however, they left a caveat that they could approve the funds but they needed details and that till date, the details had not been provided.
On his part, Senator Mustapha Habib representing Jigawa South West Senatorial District said that in addition to the Ways & Means, there were loans given to state governments and the manufacturing sector, some of which had not been returned.
“We have a colossal amount of money given to the banks and this amount ran into trillions of Naira. We need to really interrogate this. DisCos (Electricity dictribution companies) were also given money by the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria). This money needs to be returned to CBN,” he said.
The Consulate of Grenada in Nigeria has announced visa-free access for Nigerian passport holders as part of efforts to boost trade, tourism, and investment ties between the two countries.
Grenada’s Consul to Nigeria, Ambassador Abidemi Sonoiki, disclosed the development during an interactive session with journalists on Thursday.
He said the Caribbean nation has already approved free entry for Nigerians and is awaiting reciprocal action from the Nigerian government through diplomatic channels.
“I have a letter from Grenada’s foreign affairs authorities to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Grenada has approved free access for Nigerians, and we expect Nigeria to reciprocate the gesture,” Sonoiki stated.
The move aims to deepen economic relations.
Sonoiki highlighted investment opportunities for Nigerians in sectors including tourism, aviation, real estate, maritime services, education, agriculture, and financial technology.
Grenada, with a population of about 125,000, is described as a stable, investment-friendly destination with a low crime rate.
Its currency has remained stable since the country gained independence in 1974.
Tourism forms the backbone of its economy, attracting visitors for vacations, weddings, cultural events, and education.
The envoy disclosed that discussions were also ongoing to establish a direct air link between Nigeria and Grenada, with hopes that a permanent route could begin operations within the next six months.
Such connectivity would enhance tourism, trade, and people-to-people exchanges, positioning Grenada as a gateway to the wider Caribbean market of around 46 million people, while leveraging Nigeria’s role as a key entry point into Africa.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has appealed to financial institutions to increase funding for oil and gas operators as part of efforts to expand domestic production.
NUPRC chief executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, made the call during a visit by senior executives from Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) to the commission’s Abuja headquarters.
Eyesan emphasised the importance of collaboration between regulators, financiers and operators to unlock investment and accelerate growth in the country’s gas sector.
“One critical element will be financing, and we are hoping that you and the financial world will be there to support us. We will ensure that the industry operates in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act and all other regulatory instruments,” Eyesan said.
She disclosed that the industry’s appetite for investment is very strong, as demonstrated by the interest in the ongoing 2025 licensing bid round, which witnessed almost 300 applications from IOCs and indigenous operators.
The NUPRC boss also highlighted ongoing initiatives around energy transition, including the issuance of Permits to Access Flare Gas (PAFG) to 28 firms and a target of 60 per cent reduction in fugitive methane emissions by 2031, among other initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable development in the upstream sector.
Responding, the head of Oil and Gas Coverage at Rand Merchant Bank, Jonathan Ross, said the bank is keen on supporting Nigeria’s efforts to grow oil and gas production, with a particular focus on gas development.
He described gas as a strategic priority for the bank, citing major infrastructure projects such as the OB3 Gas Pipeline as critical to unlocking the country’s vast gas potential.
The bank also acknowledged recent regulatory reforms and improvements in security in host communities, noting that Nigeria is in a stronger position to attract investment than in previous years.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has urged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to take immediate legal steps to recover over $120.5 billion and N66.4 billion owed to the federal government by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), international oil companies (IOCs), and other industry operators.
Falana, in a letter on behalf of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), stated that court rulings, government investigations, and federal agency reports confirm that these substantial amounts, comprising unpaid royalties, taxes, dividends, and other revenues, are still unpaid and must be remitted to the Federation Account.
The senior lawyer warned that if the Attorney-General does not initiate recovery actions within 14 days of receiving the letter, ASCAB would seek a court order compelling him to act in accordance with his constitutional and legal duties.
Falana identified five main categories of funds to be recovered.
The largest portion, he said, is $62 billion in unpaid royalties owed by international oil companies, due to the federal government’s failure to enforce the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act.
He explained that Section 16 of the law requires royalty increases when crude oil prices exceed $20 per barrel, but this was overlooked for 18 years, resulting in significant revenue loss.
Falana also stated in the letter that the governments of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers approached the Supreme Court and that on October 20, 2018, the apex court issued a consent judgment instructing the federal government to recover these royalties and pay the states their 13% derivation entitlement.
The right advocate further stated that a committee set up by former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami concluded that $62 billion could be recovered from the international oil companies.
He also mentioned that the Federal High Court has issued judgments supporting Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa states’ claims to their share of the disputed royalties.
The lawyer further urged the government to recover $29 billion in proceeds from crude oil theft and undeclared exports.
He also pointed out that findings by lawyers hired by NIMASA reportedly showed that 60.2 million barrels of crude, worth about $12.7 billion, were discharged at the Port of Philadelphia, USA, between 2011 and 2014.
Falana also cited a House of Representatives ad hoc committee report that estimated that $17 billion in crude oil and LNG exports left Nigeria without proper records during the same period.
He called on the Attorney-General to direct the EFCC to recover the funds from the oil and shipping firms involved.
Regarding Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Falana accused NNPCL of failing to remit $21.5 billion in dividends received on behalf of the federal government.
He pointed out that NLNG paid over $44 billion in dividends over 26 years, with NNPCL, holding a 49% stake, receiving about $21.5 billion, which has not been remitted to the Federation Account despite several recommendations and resolutions.
Falana also referenced NEITI’s 2022/2023 report, which identified $6.071 billion and N66.4 billion in outstanding revenues as of June 2024.
He criticised the National Assembly for approving a $2.1 billion external loan request in November 2024 amid these recoverable revenues.
The lawyer urged the Attorney-General to recover $2.9 billion spent on rehabilitating the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, noting contractual breaches by foreign contractors and operational issues, including refinery shutdowns.
He called for an EFCC investigation into the contracts and recovery of related funds.
He emphasised that recovering these sums would boost government revenue and lessen dependence on external borrowing.
“If the said sum is recovered, the Federal and state governments will avoid further external loans,” the letter stated.
Falana asserted that ASCAB has the legal standing to pursue legal action if necessary, citing its role in advocating amendments to the contracts law, which President Buhari signed into law in 2019.
As of now, neither the Office of the Attorney-General nor NNPCL has publicly responded to these claims and requests.
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