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- Our responsibility is to Nigerians, Akpabio tells lawmakers, urges legislation for National growth
By David Odama
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has charged the lawmakers to legislate with boldness and press forward with reforms to steady the nation’s economy, draw investment, broaden the tax base, and nurture growth.
Addressing his colleagues at the resumption of plenary after 10 weeks of annual long recess on Tuesday, Akpabio also urged them to recommit themselves to accountability, discipline and purposeful governance.
“We must strike hard at the enemies of ignorance and disease by strengthening education and healthcare. We must give the youths of Nigeria not only hope but opportunity.
“We must revisit the Constitution — to make our federalism stronger, our governance were efficient, and our democracy more inclusive. Above all, we must wield our power of oversight with vigilance, so that the people’s money is spent for the people’s good,” he stressed.
Reaffirming the Senate’s responsibility to the Nigerian people, Akpabio said: “To the citizens of Nigeria, we hear you. You asked us not for excuses, but for results. We will remain accountable and responsive.”
The Senate President underscored the importance of maintaining order within the legislature, warning against actions that could undermine democratic institutions.
He said: “Those who seek to weaken the legislature seek to delete the structure of democracy itself.”
Akpabio, who described governance as a “sacred duty of trust and not theatrics”, called for competence over popularity, explaining that “if our politics must remain, let us choose the right men for the service of our nation, not the loudest voices or those who seek office as an ornament, but those worthy of the people’s trust.”
He also urged swift intervention in the flood disasters affecting various parts of the country, assuring victims that the 10th Senate will not relinquish efforts in addressing the crisis.
On economic matters, Akpabio noted improvements in Nigeria’s oil production, commending President Bola Tinubu’s administration with stabilizing state finances.
“Today, no state governor is borrowing to pay salaries,” he said, urging the lawmakers to enforce fiscal discipline in the best interest of the country.
