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Presidency, National Assembly Renew Alliance on Reforms as Abbas Defends 10th NASS Record
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By Gloria Ikibah
The Presidency has reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the National Assembly to advance security, economic recovery and good governance, insisting that cooperation between both arms of government is essential to delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The assurance came on Tuesday as the House of Representatives opened its National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, an initiative aimed at showcasing the work of parliament and strengthening public engagement under the theme, “Three Years of the 10th National Assembly: Advancing Transparency, Inclusion and Reform.”
Representing President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said Nigerians expect government institutions to work together in the national interest, while stressing that the Open Week should serve as more than a ceremonial event.
He said: “An Open Week must be more than the ceremonial opening of the gates of Parliament. It should be an invitation to scrutiny, dialogue and partnership.
“Citizens should be able to follow how laws are made, understand how public resources are appropriated and see how legislative oversight protects the national interest.
“Equally, the legislature must continue to hear from young Nigerians, women, persons with disabilities, civil society, the private sector, professional bodies and communities across the federation.”
Gbajabiamila praised the leadership of the National Assembly, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, for reforms undertaken since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly.
He emphasised that collaboration between the Executive and Legislature strengthens, rather than weakens, democracy.
“While the Executive and the Legislature are separate arms of government, they share one ultimate mandate which is to improve the lives of the Nigerian people. Constructive cooperation does not diminish legislative independence, nor does robust debate amount to institutional conflict. Our democracy is strengthened when both arms engage with mutual respect, constitutional fidelity and a clear focus on results.
“As we reflect on the first three years of the 10th Assembly, I encourage us to look beyond the record of activities to the measure of impact: laws that solve real problems; budgets that translate into visible development; oversight that improves performance; and representation that renews citizens’ confidence in government.
“The Presidency remains committed to a productive relationship with the National Assembly in pursuit of security, economic renewal, social justice and shared prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Nigerians expect their institutions to work together.
“I congratulate the 10th National Assembly and all partners who have made this Open Week possible. May this gathering deepen public trust, strengthen democratic accountability and remind us all that public office is, above all, a public trust”, he added.
In his keynote address, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen defended the performance of the House over the past three years, revealing that lawmakers had processed 2,747 bills, with 363 passed by the National Assembly and 72 already signed into law by President Tinubu.
He said the figures represented the most productive legislative record since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
He said: “These were not lines upon a page but measurable and lasting change. Those figures represent the highest for any Assembly since 1999.”
According to the Speaker, one of the landmark laws guarantees interest-free student loans, while others have overhauled revenue administration and created regional development commissions.
“One of those laws now offers young people interest-free student loans, so that no Nigerian student is turned away from a lecture hall for want of means.
“Another has reformed how the nation raises and shares its revenue. Others have created commissions to carry development into every region of the Federation.
“The landmark statutes are only part of our work: more than 800 citizens have petitioned this House, and we have already brought hundreds of those matters to resolution. That, in my estimation, is this House at its most faithful.
“Where we have served the nation well, the Scorecard records it. Where we have fallen short, it records that also. At our inauguration in 2023, we asked to be measured against our own promises, and we meant it”, Abbas added,
The Speaker described the Open Week as an opportunity for direct engagement between parliament and the public.
“This week was designed not as a lecture but as a national conversation, and at every table, a place has been reserved for the citizen.”
The Speaker also defended the Assembly’s support for the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, saying parliament had provided the legal framework required to implement key policies.
“President Bola Tinubu asked us to accept a difficult but necessary course of reforms. They reached into the very foundations of our economy, into how it is financed, how our currency is valued, and how our common revenue is shared and invested in our people.
“Every policy of the Executive still had to become law, to pass through appropriation, and to withstand legislative scrutiny. That is the indispensable work this House has performed.
“We laid the legal foundation for the tax reforms that will render our revenue fairer for generations to come.
“We enacted budgets directing resources toward infrastructure, toward power, and toward the human capital upon which all else depends.
“We gave statutory force to the reform of student financing. The President furnished the vision; the National Assembly furnished the laws that render the vision enforceable. That is the true measure of legislative support, and it is worth far more than applause”, he stated.
On security, Abbas maintained that progress was being made despite continuing challenges.
“Nothing tests a government, or a parliament, so severely as the safety of the citizen.
“Let me speak plainly: our security forces are gaining ground, and we will not rest until every Nigerian is safe.”
The Speaker also dismissed claims that the National Assembly merely rubber-stamps Executive proposals.
“Some assume, in good faith, that when a President signs a Bill quickly, then the legislature is a rubber-stamp. That is not how the work is done.
“Swift assent is usually the reward of months of committee work, completed long before the cameras arrive.
“Even the Congress of the United States has, in urgent moments, passed sweeping legislation in a single day, and no serious observer called it surrender.
“Speed built on hard preparation is the mark of a Parliament that is working, not one that has stopped thinking.”
He urged Nigerians to become more involved in the legislative process.
“My appeal to the citizen who observes us today is therefore a simple one: draw closer. Acquaint yourself with the true workings of your Parliament.
“Read a Bill before you pass judgement upon it. Submit your memoranda when we call for them. We take your submissions seriously and consider your input in amending laws”, he added.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the National Assembly remained focused on supporting government through legislation and budget approvals that improve the economy.
“I also insist that any sort of finance or those running our economy also take care of our contractors across the board so that money will be released to the society for things to function”, he said.
He also praised President Tinubu’s relationship with the legislature.
“He has visited us more times than any president. Whether it is June 12th or whether it is time of budget, he comes here in person and always very excited.
Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, acknowledged the Assembly’s progress in areas including constitutional amendment, electoral reform and citizen engagement, but challenged lawmakers to strengthen oversight of the Executive.
“The Legislature is at its strongest not when it agrees with the Executive, but when it faithfully discharges its constitutional duty to scrutinise executive action, protect public resources and ensure that government remains accountable to the people”, he said.
Nwankwo urged lawmakers to conclude the constitutional review process, strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws, pass the Special Seats Bill for Women, deepen transparency and ensure oversight delivers measurable benefits for citizens.
Former Speaker Aminu Masari commended the Open Week initiative, describing it as evidence that the House was living up to its reputation as the “People’s House.”
Emeritus Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, reminded lawmakers that their legitimacy comes from the electorate and urged them to place the interests of Nigerians above every other consideration.
Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library, Hon. Henry Nwawuba, said the Open Week reflects parliament’s commitment to openness and accountability, while noting that it coincides with the second anniversary of the National Assembly Library, established by President Tinubu to preserve Nigeria’s legislative history and improve public access to parliamentary information.
News
Enikanolaiye Appoints Elesho, Oni As Media Aides to Drive Strategic Communications, Digital and Public Diplomacy
By Gloria Ikibah
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has approved the appointment of two media professionals to strengthen the communication of the ministry’s mandate and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The appointments, announced by the Spokesperson of theMinistry, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, are Mr Richard Elesho as Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communications and Mr Raphael Oni as Special Assistant on Digital and Public Diplomacy.
According to the ministry, the two appointees bring decades of combined experience in journalism, public affairs, government communication and media management.
Elesho is a graduate of Delta State University, Abraka, and Kogi State University, Anyigba. He previously served as Chief Press Secretary and Director-General, Media Affairs, to two former Governors of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and Capt. Idris Wada.
Until his latest appointment, Elesho was the North Central Bureau Chief of The News/PM News.
Oni, described by the ministry as a specialist in diplomatic reporting, has more than 15 years’ experience spanning government communication, public diplomacy and international relations.
An award-winning photojournalist and diplomatic correspondent, he holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Abuja.
He has been the publisher of Diplomats Extra Magazine since 2013, a publication focused on diplomacy and international affairs and read by ministries, departments and agencies, embassies and other stakeholders.
Oni has also served two terms as Secretary-General of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN), as well as Secretary-General of the NUJ Correspondents Chapel, Abuja.
The ministry said the appointments were aimed at improving its communication efforts and ensuring more effective engagement with the media and the public on Nigeria’s foreign policy and diplomatic activities.
Ebienfa urged stakeholders to support the new media team and foster a cordial working relationship with the appointees.
“Let us give them the necessary support and looks forward to cordial working relationship with them,” he said.
The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have issued a three-day notice of strike to Nigeria’s domestic airlines, accusing the operators of blocking workers from unionising and non-remittance of ticket sales charges owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
In a statement issued at the weekend, the unions said they were escalating the issue after the warning they gave on August 4, when the unions announced a notice of picketing and declared they were prepared to strike “at any time without further notice.”
Describing the latest move as a gesture of restraint, the unions said they were giving the airlines a further three days to address their grievances before industrial action begins. In the statement, the unions accused airlines of two major infractions.
They alleged that airlines have made it impossible for members of staff to join unions freely, despite repeated efforts by the aviation unions to secure that right.
They said workers are too afraid to even express interest in union membership for fear of discrimination.
The unions also accused the airlines of withholding a 5% charge on ticket sales that is meant to fund the operations of aviation agencies. According to the statement, the non-remittance of these funds has stalled the implementation of collective bargaining agreements already negotiated on behalf of union members.
The statement read: “In relaxing the notice of picketing, dated 4th August 2026 by our unions, with a statement that we were ready to strike at anytime without further notice, we hereby magnanimously issued a 3-day Notice of Strike upon the defaulting domestic airlines principally for the following infractions:
”Making unfettered unionization of staff in their organisation impossible after several efforts by the aviation unions. Their workers dare not even express the intention to belong to unions of their choices.
”Non-remittance of the already collected, but withheld 5% ticket sales charge, which is the operational fund of the aviation agencies, thereby rendering our members negotiated collective bargaining agreements at the aviation agencies nugatory so far. This continues to breed disgruntled air transport workers; the implication of which is an accident in the waiting!
“We want unequivocal declarations through circulars and other direct means of communication to their staff that they are free to join unions of their choices without fear of victimisation.
We want an immediate remittance of the seized operational funds of the aviation agencies to allow for the implementation of the conditions of service of our members in the various aviation agencies.”
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has assumed direct control of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Plc (Kaduna DisCo), dissolving the utility’s board and stripping its core investor of management authority over a N456 billion debt.
NERC said in an order dated August 10 that Kaduna Electricity, known as Kaduna DisCo, is in a “grave situation” marked by prolonged default, weak commercial performance and a balance sheet where liabilities have outrun assets.
The regulator invoked its intervention powers under sections 75 to 79 of the Electricity Act 2023, the strongest tool available to it short of revoking the company’s license outright.
“The commission therefore is obliged to act in the public interest and to safeguard continuity of distribution services in KAEDC’s network area,” the order states, citing the risk that further delay could trigger an unplanned collapse of service and expose Nigeria’s electricity market to systemic risk.
Kaduna DisCo’s cumulative market debt had climbed to roughly N456.5 billion as of May, split between N415.5 billion owed to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and N41 billion owed to the system operator, according to the order.
The utility has also built up N14.26 billion in other statutory and third-party obligations, and has racked up more than N118.6 billion in additional market debt since ASI Engineering Limited took over operations in June 2024.
Kaduna DisCo paid just 41.93 percent of its adjusted market invoices in the year through December, leaving a shortfall of about N46.71 billion, the regulator’s data show.
That underperformance tracked losses across the network; aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses averaged 71.88 percent for the year, meaning the utility billed for barely more than a quarter of the power it received.
Capital investment lagged even further behind commitments. Actual spending in 2025 came to about N2.48 billion against a required minimum of N24.51 billion, a shortfall the regulator pinned largely on the commission’s own forbearance rather than any acceleration by the investor.
Meter coverage, meanwhile, stayed below 36 percent of customers throughout the year despite repeated industry-wide pushes to close the metering gap.
NERC had conditionally cleared ASI’s plan to acquire 60 percent of Kaduna DisCo in January 2024, working alongside a technical partner, Akanksha Power and Infrastructure Limited.
That approval carried a list of conditions, proof of the partner’s operating capacity, a compliance roadmap, bank guarantees to the market operator and trading company, and management vetting, among others, that the regulator said were never fully satisfied even after ASI assumed day-to-day control.
In a letter dated August 25, 2025, ASI told the commission it had met and was sustaining the approval conditions, pointing to restructured technical teams, loss-reduction and metering projects, and efforts to arrange equity and debt financing. Regulators found the supporting evidence insufficient. “The supporting submissions… did not provide adequate evidence of compliance with the conditions,” the order says, adding that documentation for planned infrastructure and technical-advisory work was missing.
Talks came to a head after the commission warned Kaduna DisCo’s shareholders and the Africa Export-Import Bank in a formal notice that an intervention was imminent unless a credible financial rescue plan materialised.
Representatives of the investor group met regulators, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Afrexim and Fidelity Bank at Afrexim’s offices on June 11. All parties agreed at that meeting that ASI had not met the original takeover conditions or separate requirements set by the Bureau of Public Enterprises for finalising the share sale.
ASI asked for as much as 24 months more to stabilise cash flow and reach full market remittance. The commission, working with the Bureau of Public Enterprises and Afrexim, rejected the request, concluding that a further extension of similar length was not justified given the continuing risk to customers and the market, and that ASI had failed to back the request with a credible plan.
Under the order, KAEDC’s board is dissolved and its directors removed, with a seven-member interim board of special directors, chaired by Abdullahi Garba and including a representative from the Bureau of Public Enterprises, installed for an initial six-month term.
The utility’s incumbent managing director, Abubakar Umar Hashidu, has been retained as administrator to run day-to-day operations, while background-clearance approvals for the wider management team have been withdrawn pending revalidation.
Afrexim will lead a competitive process, coordinated with the regulator, to find a replacement core investor within 12 months, with interim milestones for transaction documents, bidder shortlists and financing terms due at 60, 180 and 270 days. Prospective bidders will need to show working capital, a five-year turnaround plan and bank guarantees covering at least three months of market invoices.
Enikanolaiye Appoints Elesho, Oni As Media Aides to Drive Strategic Communications, Digital and Public Diplomacy
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