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Akpabio, Lawan, Ndume Throw Nigerian Senate Into Rowdy Session Over N23Trillion Ways & Means Funds Approved By 9th Assembly
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.
Midnight fire on Saturday destroyed more than 10 shops at the Terminus Market in Jos, Plateau State.
Witnesses said that the incident occurred around 10:00 p.m., after traders had closed for the day.
The latest incident comes three months after a section of the market was gutted by a similar night fire.
Our correspondent, who visited the market on Sunday morning, reports that more than 10 shops were affected, with clothes and shoes burnt to ashes.
The cause of the fire could not be immediately confirmed by market authorities, though some victims suggested it might have been caused by an electrical fault.
Firefighters and emergency responders were said to have acted swiftly to contain the blaze, preventing what many feared could have escalated into a major disaster.
A witness, Mr. Silas Lawrenzo, said that firefighters, including a team from the National Emergency Management Agency, worked alongside the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, Federal Fire Service, and the Plateau State Fire Service to bring the fire under control.
He said the coordinated and rapid response helped contain the flames, limiting damage and preventing the fire from spreading across the busy commercial hub.
The media reports that the market has experienced three separate fire incidents in the past year, destroying goods worth millions of naira.
The Inspector General of Police,Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has hailed the professionalism of Nigerian journalists and corrected a misconception about their roles in society cautioning that they should not be treated like beggars, instead accorded the full compliments of professionals deserving of respect
The IGP who commended Federal capital Territory journalists and sought stronger police- media partnership when he spoke as a special guest at the FCT NUJ council congress Saturday, said he has always had a mutually beneficial relationship with the media, recognising their professionalism that is deserving of respect and therefore they should never be treated as beggars
The calm and ever- smiling police chief said, “I have always had a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with journalists. They are professionals who deserve respect and should never be treated as beggars,”
Disu commended them for their role in informing the public and contributing to national development, describing his relationship with the media as one built on mutual respect and professionalism.
He emphasised that journalists should be regarded as respected professionals rather than beggars, noting that the media plays a critical role in society, while calling for stronger collaboration between the police and the media, stressing that a healthy partnership would enhance public trust and improve security communication.
The police chief further urged both police officers and journalists to conduct themselves responsibly at all times, noting that good conduct leaves lasting impressions in society.
Responding, Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, congratulated the new IGP on his appointment and described him as a longstanding friend of the press.
She expressed confidence in his leadership and assured him of the council’s readiness to collaborate with the police in reporting security matters objectively
Ike also revealed that the IGP would be invited as a special guest to the council’s 2026 Press Week celebration.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the NUJ FCT Council to promoting responsible journalism and supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening security and governance in the territory.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, was today honoured with the *Outstanding Agency of the Year Award 2025* by Champions Newspaper at its 2025 Awards ceremony held in Lagos.
The Managing Director, who was represented by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, *Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara*, described the award as recognition of his vigorous leadership in implementing smart initiatives that align with the NPA’s vision to become the *Maritime Logistics Hub for Sustainable Port Services in Africa*.
Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, the Authority’s Spokesman, highlighted the invaluable support of the *Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola*, which has been instrumental in achieving these remarkable successes. Key highlights include:
– Sustained port efficiencies contributing to Nigeria’s year-on-year trade surplus of ₦7.5 trillion and ₦6.7 trillion in Q2 and Q3 2025 (per NBS and NESG reports), driven mainly by exports via NPA platforms.
– Successful execution of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy for crude and petroleum product sales in Naira, saving billions in FOREX, enhancing energy security, improving trade balance, and creating jobs.
– Completion of Nigeria’s membership in the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA), paving the way for the National Single Window (NSW) project.
– Technical guidance enabling a significant rise in transhipment cargo at Lekki Deep Seaport, serving landlocked neighbours and recovering cargo lost to competing ports.
– Pioneering election of a Nigerian agency as President of the Port Management Association of West & Central Africa (PMAWCA) since 1972, with Dr. Dantsoho also leading PAPC, boosting Nigeria’s diplomatic standing and securing re-admission to IMO Category C.
These successes position NPA to deliver major 2025 projects, including the $1 billion reconstruction of Tincan Island Port Complex, rehabilitation of key ports, new deep seaport developments, and eco-friendly operations.
Champions Newspaper conferred the award in appreciation of NPA’s pivotal role as a leading trade facilitation platform driving national economic prosperity through Nigeria’s maritime endowments.
Midnight fire engulfs Jos main market destroying ten shops
Journalists are professionals deserving Respect- IGP Disu
NPA wins Champions Newspaper’s “Outstanding Agency of the Year Award 2025”
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