Years of executive, Senate fights over – Akpabio’s aide reveals state of smooth working relationship
The Special Assistant to the Senate President on the New Media, Ahmed Tijani, has assured Nigerians that the 10th Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio would not hinder efforts by the executive arm to develop all sectors of the economy.
He said the years of bickering when the Senate and the executive would be working at cross purposes were over.
Tijani, who spoke in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Saturday, at a one-day medical outreach organised under the ‘Akpabio Cares Initiative’ for the vulnerable residents, said achieving January to December budget circle was a clear indication of the Senate’s commitment to enhance the capacity of the executive to speed up the development of the country.
He also assured Nigerians that the Senate would continue to focus on the business of making laws to impact positively on the lives of all Nigerians.
He said, “The job of the Senate is to make laws and have appropriations that would better the lives of over 200 million Nigerians. We have seen that painstakingly being done. The Senate has ensured that they kept to the January – December budget cycle and this is a good starting point for Nigerians.
“We expect that in the year 2024, the Senate will focus on the serious business of law-making because it is as important as governance itself. Years of bickering when the Senate and the executive would be working at cross purposes, I can confidently tell Nigerians, are behind us. Both are supposed to be partners in development.”
Tijani added that the Senate is “not supposed to be hindrances to Nigeria’s development. The executive can do little or nothing without the lawmakers and the 10th Senate led by Senator Godswill Akpabio will deliver on his mandate to young Nigerians particularly.”
Commenting on the medical outreach, Tijani said the initiative, which he sponsored, would be moved across the six geo-political zones in the country, adding that 300 vulnerable residents selected without party or religious biases benefitted from free eye screening, distribution of eyeglasses, various medical tests and free drugs.
PUNCH Online reports that the Senate approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to borrow $7.8 billion and €100 million as part of the 2022 – 2024 borrowing plan of the Federal Government.
The request was approved after the Senate considered and adopted the report of its committee on Local and Foreign Debt during the plenary on Saturday, December 30, 2023.
