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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Sad! FCT NUJ Mourns Senior Journalist, Gabriel Gwajime

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council is saddened to announce the death of a senior journalist, Elder Gabriel Gwajime.

The late Gwajime died on Monday February 10, 2025 in Abuja after a brief illness at the age of 60, leaving behind a legacy of excellence in journalism and a commitment to truth and integrity.

He was a respected figure in the field of journalism and until his death, worked with the Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative, (CWAI) and has served in many capacities with several Nigerian mainstream newspapers and a Board member of the Guild of Civil Societies and Media Executives for Equity, Justice and Transparency in Nigeria, (GOCMEJ).

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Throughout his career, he reported on numerous significant events, providing insightful analysis and in-depth coverage that informed and engaged audience.

He was known for his dedication to uncovering the truth and giving a voice to the voiceless even in the face of intimidation.

The deceased had contributed in no small measure to the success stories achieved in the union and civil society community while in active service.

The loss of Elder Gwajime is not only felt within our NUJ FCT Council but also across the journalism community.  He was a mentor to many and a friend to all and his contributions to the journalism profession will not be forgotten.

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The veteran Comrade would be missed for his meaningful impact in fostering unity, peace and love among members.

He is survived by five children and a few grandchildren. He hails from Onyian, Kunshisha, Local Government Area of  Benue State.  

The NUJ FCT Council uses this medium  to condole with the immediate family and friends of the deceased and prays to God to grant all the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss as well as grant his soul eternal rest.

The funeral arrangements will be announced by the family in due course.

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E-signed
Comrade Jide Oyekunle
Secretary of Council

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Edo guber tribunal: APC witness confesses there was over-voting, INEC flaws

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Edo Guber Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday suffered a major setback when a key witness for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Afuda Theophilus, admitted under cross-examination confessed that over-voting occurred in Esan North East Local Government Area—directly contradicting his sworn testimony.

The witness, who had been presented by the APC to defend the election’s integrity, initially asserted in his written witness statement that there were no incidents of over-voting.

However, when confronted with official polling unit results, he conceded that the total number of votes cast exceeded the number of accredited voters.

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This shows there was over-voting?” Asue Ighodalo’s lead counsel, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), asked.

“Yes,” Theophilus replied, before attempting to offer an explanation.

His testimony became even more damaging when he was questioned about Form EC25B, the INEC-prescribed document for recording the serial numbers of sensitive election materials before voting. Referring to the INEC Manual for Election Officials, Owonikoko asked him to confirm that Form EC25B was the required document for documenting the serial numbers of result sheets and ballot papers. Theophilus agreed.

However, when presented with the actual Form EC25Bs used during the election, he was forced to acknowledge that they had not been filled in—lacking serial numbers, signatures, or any identifying details.

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“There is no entry of serial numbers of result sheets or the BVAS machine. Can you confirm?” Owonikoko asked.

“I can’t find it…” Theophilus hesitantly responded.

When pressed further to confirm that the serial numbers were missing, he admitted, “Yes, they are not there.”

Reacting to the revelations, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, speaking on behalf of the opposition, stated that the testimony exposed serious irregularities in INEC’s handling of the election and raised major doubts about the credibility of the results.

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“Our legal team has argued that failure to complete Form EC25B alone constitutes non-compliance with electoral guidelines, invalidating results from affected polling units.

” This is the law—it is not my opinion. It is a strict liability issue, and once again, we are grateful to the APC for sending us such honest witnesses,” he remarked.

With its own witness inadvertently strengthening the opposition’s case, the APC’s defence appears increasingly fragile. The tribunal’s ruling on these revelations could have significant consequences for the outcome of the governorship election.

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“I move procurement committee from analog to digital -Senator Ipansagba

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Senator Jide Ipansagba has said Nigerians will soon experience new era of procurement system akin to international practice

The Senator who took over from Senator Monday Okpebolo, now the current governor of Edo State had a well planned mission for the committe.

He said his committee was putting in place measures to ensure that all MDAs were aligned to the new administration’s paradigm shift, where ordinary Nigerians can bid and win contracts unlike what was obtainable, and also move BPP from analog to digital.

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The Senator who represents Ondo North senatorial district spoke to journalists in his Abuja office assured Nigerians of righting all wrongs. That his goal is to provide equal opportunities for Nigerians to participate in competitive bidding, which can lead to cost savings.

The committee also discourages single-source procurement, which often does not provide good value for money.

He said, “Many wrongs will be corrected. We want to make sure that only qualified persons get the contract job they tendered for.”

The lawmaker explained that the idea of MDAs calling for bids and lining people up for a rigorous Pre-qualification exercise only for the contract to go to persons or companies who did not participate in the process was no longer acceptable.

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Ipansagba said, “Due process must be followed. We want the country to experience a new era of procurement system that is acceptable to international practice.”

“I can assure you that this Senate is sincere about the new deal we are bringing forward in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President and the uncommon Senate President.”

“We are also transitioning from
traditional analog procurement methods to digital means, working closely with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

“The goal is to bring Nigeria’s procurement system on par with global standards, ensuring transparency and efficiency.

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The committee which acts as an advisory body to the BPP, will promote a more inclusive
procurement process where everyone has an equal opportunity to bid.

“The committee, under my chairmanship will discourage portfolio contractors who lack the necessary resources and expertise to handle government contracts”

Speaking about his preparedness to interface with MDAs by contractors, he said “the committee will evaluate both the commercial and technical tenders submitted by contractors to MDAs before awarding any government contracts.

“We will ensure that contractors have the capacity, resources, and manpower to fulfill the obligations.

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“The committee follows the Public
Procurement Act of 2007 as its guiding principle in carrying out its duties. Our aim is to make Nigerians and the constituted authority happy with our
performance, working in alignment with the new administration’s agenda. Nigerians should be rest assured that this committee will deliver.

The committee chairman further explained that his committee was privileged to have highly experienced Nigerians who have made their mark in governance and in business as members.

He said, “I can assure you that my committee will investigate activities in the procurement system since 2019 and ensure we right the wrongs to regain the confidence of the public in the procurement system.”

“We want a system where you don’t need to know anybody before you can bid or win contracts.

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