Senate

While scrolling through social media, I stumbled upon a rejoinder to my article published in Daily Trust on January 2, 2025, titled “N20,000 Empowerment: Senator Bomai, You Can Do Better.” The rejoinder, written by Abubakar MB Tamana from Potiskum, appeared on January 3, 2025, and sought to counter my assertions. Tamana argued, rather boldly and shamelessly, that the N20,000 distributed to constituents was not part of Senator Bomai’s empowerment program. Such a claim is misleading and lacks credibility, especially when viewed in light of Senator Bomai’s media team’s own statements. The team explicitly described the distribution as part of the senator’s efforts to empower 1,800 youths across APC branches in Yobe South, labeling it a commendable initiative aimed at addressing youth unemployment and supporting economic growth.

This statement from Senator Bomai’s media team is unequivocal, leaving no doubt that the N20,000 was indeed presented as part of his empowerment scheme. Yet, one cannot help but question the sincerity and effectiveness of such a gesture. Is a one-time distribution of N20,000 to jobless youths, most of whom are educated and have graduated from higher institutions, a genuine attempt at empowerment? This paltry sum barely scratches the surface of the socioeconomic challenges faced by the people of Yobe South. It is not enough to claim to be empowering the youth; the efforts must be meaningful and impactful enough to make a tangible impact on their lives. Unfortunately, Senator Bomai’s tokenistic approach falls woefully short of the mark.

The people of Yobe South are not ignorant of the opportunities available to their representatives through the Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIPs). These projects allow senators to allocate significant funds—often exceeding N600 million annually—for impactful programs such as skill acquisition training, provision of motorcycles, or other community-focused initiatives. Under President Tinubu’s administration, these allocations were even increased by 50%, further expanding the scope for developmental interventions. The glaring issue here is whether Senator Bomai has chosen to ignore these opportunities or simply lacks the vision and commitment to execute programs that would genuinely uplift his constituents. Since assuming office in 2019, Senator Bomai has yet to introduce a single substantial initiative that addresses the pressing needs of the people of Yobe South.

To put it bluntly, other senators have demonstrated what meaningful empowerment looks like. For instance, on January 3, Daily Trust reported that Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, the 9th President of the Senate, distributed N250,000 each to 400 small-scale business owners in Yobe North, totaling N100 million. This initiative was designed to revitalize the local economy and provide a sustainable foundation for small businesses to thrive. Similarly, just last week, Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin sponsored 70 students from Kano for postgraduate studies in India. This program not only supports education but also ensures that the beneficiaries acquire advanced skills that can contribute to national development. These are examples of impactful and far-reaching empowerment programs that go beyond mere handouts and focus on building capacity, creating opportunities, and fostering long-term growth.

Senator Bomai’s approach, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. The distribution of N20,000 to jobless graduates and other struggling individuals is not empowerment; it is, at best, a temporary relief and, at worst, an insult to their intelligence and dignity. The youth of Yobe South deserve better than this tokenism. They need programs that address their specific challenges—be it through skill acquisition, job creation, entrepreneurship support, or educational sponsorships. There is an urgent need for the senator to prioritize the welfare of his constituents and leverage the resources at his disposal to implement impactful initiatives.

It is high time Senator Bomai opened his ears to the cries of his people and took decisive action to address their needs. The unemployment crisis among graduates, the lack of support for small-scale businesses, and the absence of sustainable economic opportunities in Yobe South demand immediate and meaningful intervention. The era of token gestures and empty rhetoric must come to an end. If Senator Bomai truly wishes to be remembered as a leader who cared for his people, he must rise to the occasion and deliver the kind of empowerment that makes a lasting difference in the lives of his constituents. Anything less would be a disservice to the people he claims to represent.

Kasim Isa Muhammad, an investigative journalist, wrote from Potiskum, Yobe State.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Lawal Adamu Usman, popularly known as Mr. La, the senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, has reportedly survived an alleged assassination attempt.

Usman, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a prominent opposition figure, confirmed the incident via his verified Facebook account late Wednesday night.

The senator, elected to the Senate in 2023, did not provide detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack.

In his statement, Senator Usman said, “I just escaped an assassination attempt by some thugs in Kaduna Central.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigerian Senate has taken the first step towards banning the use of foreign currencies in the country.

A bill seeking to prohibit the use of foreign currency in Nigeria has scaled first reading in the House of Senate.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, aims to ensure that all payments, including salaries and transactions, are made using the local currency, the naira.

According to Senator Nwoko, the widespread use of foreign currencies in Nigeria’s financial system undermines the value of the naira.

He described the use of foreign currencies like the dollar and pound sterling as a “colonial relic” that hinders Nigeria’s economic independence.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, No. 7, to Prohibit the Use of Foreign Currencies for Remuneration and Other Related Matters,” seeks to amend the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

This development has sparked mixed reactions, with some Nigerians expressing support for the move, while others have raised concerns about its potential impact on the economy.

By Anwar Usman 

The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s loan request of $2.2 billion to partially finance the ₦9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year. 

The approval followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Aliyu Wamakko, during plenary session. 

While leading the session, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau commended the committee for its swift action and thorough examination of the loan request. 

In a letter presented during the Senate and House of Representatives plenaries on Tuesday, Tinubu explained that the loan was integral to his administration’s fiscal strategy for the coming year. 

“The Presidential request for $2.2 billion, equivalent to ₦1.77 trillion, is already stated in the external borrowing plan for the 2024 fiscal year,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated while reading the letter. 

He further instructed the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to expedite its review of the request and present a report within 24 hours. 

“The Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Loans should, therefore, give the request expeditious consideration and report back within 24 hours,” Akpabio said.

Although the deadline was passed on Wednesday, the committee submitted its findings during Thursday’s plenary, leading to the loan’s approval. 

Details later…

By Uzair Adam 

The Senate has approved the nomination of several new ministers following a rigorous screening process. 

Among those confirmed are Yusuf Abdullahi Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Other appointees include Dr. Jumoke Oduwole as Minister of Industry, Trade, and Development, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and Muhammadu Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment. 

Idi Muktar Maiha was also confirmed as Minister of Livestock Development, and Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad was confirmed as Minister of State for Education.

The Senate dedicated approximately five hours to screen and confirm the nominees following a motion by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele to suspend certain procedural rules. 

This suspension allowed the Special Adviser to the President on Senate matters, Basheer Lado, to introduce the nominees during the plenary session.

Last week, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read out President Bola Tinubu’s letter listing the nominees for the ministerial positions.

By Uzair Adam 

Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South in the National Assembly, disclosed that his monthly take-home package amounts to over ₦21 million. 

This revelation came just 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) stated that each of the 109 senators in the Nigerian Senate receives a monthly salary and allowances totalling ₦1.06 million.

The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, had clarified that senators’ official earnings include a basic salary of ₦168,866.70, along with various allowances such as ₦126,650.00 for motor vehicle fueling and maintenance, ₦42,216.66 for personal assistant, and other minor allowances, bringing the total to ₦1,063,860.00 per month.

However, in an interview with BBC Hausa, Senator Kawu revealed a stark difference in the figures, explaining that while his monthly salary is indeed around ₦1 million, additional administrative fees and allowances he receives as a senator bring his total monthly earnings to ₦21 million. 

According to Kawu, this amount covers various office running costs, including domestic travel and newspaper purchases.

The controversy surrounding the earnings of Nigerian federal lawmakers has been reignited, especially after former President Olusegun Obasanjo criticized the practice of lawmakers setting their salaries and allowances, labelling it as immoral. 

Similarly, a former senator from Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, had previously disclosed that senators receive a monthly running cost of ₦13.5 million in addition to their salaries. 

The debate continues as Nigerians scrutinize the actual earnings of their representatives in the National Assembly.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced that the newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 applies to all workers across both public and private sectors, including domestic staff such as housemaids, drivers, and gatemen.

Akpabio made this statement during a plenary session on Tuesday, emphasizing that the minimum wage is not limited to formal sector employees.

He explained that employers, including individuals, cannot pay their domestic staff below the approved minimum wage.

The Senate President congratulated the Nigeria Labour Congress, Nigerians, and the National Assembly on the passage of this “epoch-making legislation,” which reduces the term of negotiations from five years to three years due to the increasing cost of living.

This development means that all employers, including those in the private sector, must ensure they comply with the new minimum wage requirement for their employees, including domestic staff.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigerian Senate has given the green light to a bill that would substantially increase the salaries of judicial officers across the country.

The proposed legislation, which was forwarded by President Bola Tinubu, aims to improve the remuneration of judges and other judicial personnel at both federal and state levels. 

The Senate’s approval of the bill is a major boost for the judiciary, recognizing the critical role that judicial officers play in upholding justice and the rule of law.

The proposed pay increase is expected to enhance the attractiveness of careers in the judiciary, enabling the sector to retain and attract top talent. 

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) has thrown his weight behind the president’s proposal, urging the Senate to pass the bill.

The move is seen as a significant step towards recognizing the valuable contributions of judicial officers to the country’s justice system. 

The approval of the bill is a positive development that is expected to have a positive impact on the judiciary and the country as a whole.

By Nura Jibo

Senator Abdul Ningi remains a hero of Nigeria’s democracy. His revelations, as the senator from Edo North implied, will haunt their reputation, causing them to receive years of contempt and opprobrium from the Nigerian people.

No one takes any of the current Nigerian senators seriously.

The entire country and world leaders view their tongue-lashing as an overt confession to the national budget’s animadversion. What irony!

Indeed, the mentality of Nigerian politicians, both young and old, is the same. To enter politics, contest, “win” either fairly or by crooked means, and serve the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th terms.

This could be easily spotted in the Senate chamber. It is full of geriatrics who served eight years as governors in their respective states and have now become senators to take cover in the Senate and hide their political obloquy.

In the past two days, Nigerians have been left in no doubt that the Nigerian senators, including their Senate President, are already in a state of disgrace resulting from public opprobrium. And this is quite understandable.

There is no way a Nigerian citizen could trust any senator with his hard-earned electoral vote. Unless the senator steals it by fabricating figures the way they surreptitiously did in the 2023 national budget, where some of them were allocated ₦500 million as publicly confessed by one of their own!

For one of their own to call all of them culpable, or better yet, culprits, is certainly an obloquy and political hara-kiri—an indelible series of political somersaults.

What Senator Ningi presented was a testament to the fact that the entire Senate is now embroiled in a disturbing saga of corruption and self-incrimination, demonstrating a reckless disregard and disrespect for the public good.

Indeed, this Senate’s attitude is certainly an intentional breach of decorum that exposes them to the vagueness, vagaries, verbosity, and waffle of their statutory unconscionability!

May Allah SWT save Nigeria and its people from this kind of Senate’s malicious misrepresentation(s) of the people under the tutelage of budget padding.

By Idris Ishaq Danwanka

Esteemed compatriots and guardians of our collective Northern ethos, in the wake of recent fiscal disclosures, a disconcerting schism has been unveiled that warrants our immediate attention and stringent critique. Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, erstwhile Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, has valiantly illuminated a disquieting anomaly within the fiscal year 2024 budget proceedings.

With the budget initially proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amounting to 24 trillion Naira, the subsequent and inexplicable inflation to 27 trillion Naira post-senate approval instigates profound perturbation and necessitates scrupulous examination.

The crux of the matter lies not solely within the numerical discrepancies but more so in the disheartening dearth of collective fortitude amongst our Northern sentinels. Senator Ningi’s resignation from the venerable chairmanship of our forum, following his laudable challenge to the opaque augmentation of the said budget, is a testament to a troubling lack of solidarity and a deviation from the path of unwavering patriotism that our region is historically known to uphold.

It is incumbent upon us, as the custodians of Arewa’s legacy, to transcend the paralyzing grip of fear that threatens our tenure within the senate.

The specter of suspension or dismissal should not deter us from our sacrosanct duty to the masses. We must rally behind the banner of transparency, accountability, and unwavering integrity that Senator Ningi has hoisted, even in the face of potential political ostracism.

The significance of unity cannot be overstated in our quest for regional and national development. A fragmented front is a disservice to the populace we have sworn to serve. It is only through a cohesive and unyielding stance that we can effectively steward the resources of our polity and engender a milieu where probity is not just expected but demanded.

Let us not shy away from our responsibility to interrogate and impugn any act that undermines the fiscal sanctity of our nation. To falter in this regard is to capitulate to the whims of those who may not prioritize the collective good over individual aggrandizement. The import of our togetherness is the bulwark against the forces of division and the cornerstone of our advocacy for the masses.

In conclusion, it is our imperative to eschew the parochial fears that stifle our voice and to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who dare to speak truth to power. The Arewa spirit is one of resilience, unity, and an unyielding commitment to the greater good. May we find the moral fortitude to embody these virtues and to restore the faith of our people in our esteemed institution.

Let us not delay in reclaiming our esteemed position as paragons of rectitude and as the vanguards of the people’s will. The time for action is now; the call for unity and patriotism, ever resonant.

Yours in service to our region and our nation;

Sen. Idris Ishaq Danwanka,
B.A. English Language and Literature, Federal University Dutse.