Serious intrigues and game of wits have taken over the 10th Senate following the passage and signing of the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

Senators are said to be angered by the leadership style of the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, especially with the way he handled the distribution of projects in the 2024 budget. Akpabio had claimed that the budget was prepared by the appropriation chairman and majority leader with the presidency and delivered to him for passage. He claimed he had no contribution to the budget and shouldn’t be called names he doesn’t deserve.

A Northern lawmaker in the Senate who pleaded not to be named told our correspondent that Akpabio’s poor leadership, highhandedness and greed are the issues most senators are angry with him.

“The Senate is still divided. That is the honest truth. We are divided by Akpabio’s poor leadership and greed. How can the Senate President be praying for the failure of his fellow lawmakers. He took everything in budget without carrying us along. It has never be done in the history of the senate. This is pure greed from Akpabio, and I want Nigerians to know that we are not happy with Akpabio. We should have what to report back to our constituency in 2027; he cannot take everything alone, it is greed,” he lamented.

Last week, Akpabio faced criticism as he was accused of consistently violating the official starting time of the Senate plenary sessions.

According to the Senate Standing Rule, plenary sessions should commence at 10 a.m. every legislative day, but Akpabio’s habitual alleged tardiness has become a concern for senators and observers alike.

The recent observation by Premium Times indicates that the plenary sessions, which are supposed to start at 10 a.m., have consistently begun later due to Akpabio’s delayed arrival.

According to the report, this breach of the Senate Rules has raised eyebrows among senators, with some expressing their concerns privately about the extended waiting time.

The Senate Standing Rule, specifically Rule 8 sub-section (2), mandates the Senate to meet at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

However, a review of the Senate’s recent sittings reveals that the plenary sessions rarely commence at the stipulated time. Akpabio’s lateness to plenary sessions is said to have been a recurring issue since he assumed the position in June.

The situation has led to disruptions in the schedules of Senate committees, forcing them to postpone crucial meetings due to the extended duration of plenary sessions.

Despite the concerns raised by senators and the breach of the official rule, there has been no official statement or action from the Senate regarding Akpabio’s habitual tardiness.

The report noted that Akpabio’s penchant for arriving late to official functions dates back to his tenure as the governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015 and his subsequent role as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs from 2019 to 2022.

A lawmaker from the Southwest region who preferred anonymity attested to Akpabio’s habit of keeping officials and dignitaries waiting for extended periods without apologies, describing it as insulting and demeaning.

“His consistent tardiness not only violates established rules but also reflects a lack of discipline and commitment to the responsibilities of the Senate President. He does them without being remorseful, and it is insulting and demeaning to any rational person irrespective of party affiliations.

“If he is seeing this, the Senate President must stop treating us like his children. Let him wake up before it is too late. This is not Students Union Government (SUG), but the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are already fed up with his style of leadership. We are respecting our father and leader, who is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, if not for him, Akpabio would have been removed long time ago.”

Few months ago, the United States of America (USA) chapter of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), called on the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to resign from office over what it called his lackluster handling of the affairs of the upper legislative chamber.

The Executive Director of NADECO USA, Mr Lloyd Ukwu, Esq., made the call in a statement released to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday morning.

Ugwu also called on Senators to urgently commence impeachment proceedings against Akpabio for allegedly making the upper chamber a laughing stock through naivety, immaturity and eagerness to please the executive, irrespective of the repercussions of his actions on the Senate as an institution and democratic governance in Nigeria.

The Coalition noted that Akpabio, who was planted as Senate President by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has completely subjugated his colleagues under the executive arm of governance and eroded the independence and integrity of the legislature in Nigeria.

The group accused Akpabio of
showing absolute disdain for the Standing Rules of the Senate as regards the order of proceedings, vibrant debates during plenary and thorough scrutiny of executive communications and Bills.

According to the pro-democracy group, Akpabio often resume plenaries late and unduly extend the time of sitting, a situation which is tiresome to Senators but which they are forced to stomach.

He noted that in the order paper for the day, Akpabio’s first assignment is to take the opening prayers, call for approval of votes and proceedings of the previous sitting, administer oaths if any and make announcement (if any) before calling for petitions.

Ukwu said: “However, Akpabio is fond of keeping communications from the President which are supposed to be read during announcement time till the end of plenary like he recently did when he announced the last three ministerial nominees by the President towards the tail end of plenary.

“Only recently, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC – Borno South) and Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (SDP – Nasarawa South) openly accused Akpabio of not giving Senators adequate opportunity to interrogate and scrutinize bills, especially money bills, and warned that history would judge him for approving executive requests and passing important legislations posthaste.

“Akpabio has equally showed lack of empathy for poor and suffering Nigerian masses when he recently turned a ‘let Nigerians breathe’ comment by a Senator into a pun which attracted a mocking laughter from his colleagues during plenary.

“For fear of being impeached, he recently caused an amendment to be made to the Senate Standing Rules to the effect that no first term Senator is qualified to vie for the position of presiding officer, a move which clearly violates relevant sections of the constitution which confers powers on Senators to freely choose presiding officers at their first sitting irrespective of ranking.

“He also rallies Senators to pass bills they have not seen or may never see the details. Above all, he treats and relates with Senators with disrespect like errand boys even as he continues to wear his former toga as the executive governor and dictator in Akwa Ibom State Government House, Uyo.”

NADECO USA insisted that Akpabio, who earlier contested the presidential primary election of the APC in 2022, was not fit to be Senate President of Nigeria at this material time.

He insisted that should Akpabio fail to resign or Senators fail to impeach him, NADECO USA would have no option than to mobilise its members in USA and Nigerians in diaspora for a mass action to ensure that he vacates office.

He said: “NADECO USA has received several petitions against Akpabio and his subservient leadership style as President of the 10th Senate.

“Therefore we are ready to take necessary actions to ensure that the US parliament and other parliaments across the world would henceforth not consider the Nigerian Senate under Akpabio as a serious and responsible institution.

“We will also use our reach, influence and powers to lobby to ensure that the 10th Senate under Akpabio is not accorded due recognition within the international community.

“It is regrettable that since assumption of office, Akpabio has converted the National Assembly into an annex of the Presidential Villa.

“He has connived with the executive to approve loans and other adverse requests without following due process or allowing Senators to adequately make germane input through robust debate.”


Source: https://naijagg.com/rumble-in-senate-over-akpabios-poor-leadership-high-handedness-greed/

Abeg make all of them shaaraaaappppp

When Dem dey collect 2m allowance, them no remember all these things


Gerrrooouuutttt

Rumble by who ?

Foolish ipob miscreant or senseless bigot obidient ipob ?

We outside