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See Full List of Senate Committee Chairpersons, Deputies
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has named the chairpersons for the Senate’s 69 standing committees.
The announcement was made shortly after the lawmakers unanimously voted to embark on the Senate’s annual recess.
As expected, some senators loyal to the Senate president were given committees that are considered to be key.
Generally, the Appropriation Committee, which deals with federal budgets, is considered as the most important committee. Senate Services is also highly ranked as it takes care of Senate and members’ affairs.
Committees on petroleum and gas as also important, while public accounts is traditionally headed by the opposition as it provides checks on public spending.
The committees, their chairpersons and vice-chairpersons are as follows:
1. Agriculture – Abdullahi Adamu, Bima Enagi.
2. Airforce – Bala Ibn Na’Allah, Michael Nnachi.
3. Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes – Suleiman Kwari, Aliyu Wamakko.
4. Appropriation – Barau Jibrin, Stella Oduah.
5. Army – Ali Ndume, Abba Moro.
6. Aviation – Dino Melaye, Bala Na’Allah.
7. Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions – Uba Sani, Orji Uzor Kalu.
8. Capital Market – Ibikunle Amosun, Binos Yero
9. Communications – Oluremi Tinubu, Ibrahim Bomai.
10. Corporation and Integration in Africa and NEPAD – Chimaroke Nnamani, Yusuf Yusuf.
11. Culture and Tourism – Rochas Okorocha, Ignatius Longjohn.
12. Customs, Excise and Tarrifs – Francis Alimekhena, Francis Fadahunsi.
13. Defence – Aliyu Wamakko, Istifanus Gyang.
14. Diaspora and NGOs – Bashiru Ajibola, Ibrahim Oloriegbe.
15. Downstream Petroleum Sector – Sabo Mohammed, Philip Aduda.
16.Drugs and Narcotics – Hezekaiah Dimka, Chimaroke Nnamani.
17. Ecology Climate Change – Mohammad Gusau, Olubunmi Adetunmbi.
18. Education (Basic and Secondary) – Ibrahim Geidam, Akon Eyakenyi
19. Employment, Labour and Productivity – Ben Umajumogwu, Kabiru Barkiya.
20. Environment – Ike Ekweremadu, Ibrahim Hadejia.
21. Establishment and Public Service – Ibrahim Shekarau, Barinadas Mpigi.
22. Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions – Patrick Akinyelure, Ahmed Babba-Kaita.
23. FCT – Abubakar Kyari, Tolu Odebiyi.
24.Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs – Danjuma Laah, Yahaya Gumau.
25. FERMA – Gershom Bassey, Kabir Barkiya.
26. Finance – Adeola Olamilekan, Isa Jibrin.
27. Foreign Affairs – Mohammed Bulkachuwa, Ignatius Longjohn.
28. Gas Resources – James Manager, Biobaraku Wangagra.
29. Health (Secondary and Tertiary) – Ibrahim Oloriegbe, Betty Apiafi.
30. Housing – Sam Egwu, Lola Ashiru.
31. ICT and Cybercrime – Yakubu Useni, Abdulfatai Buhari.
32. INEC – Kabiru Gaya, Sahabi Ya’u.
33. Industries – Adebayo Osinowo.
34. Information and National Communication – Danladi Sankara, Aishatu Ahmed.
35. Interior -Kashim Shettima, Diri Douye.
36. Interparliamentary Affairs – Godiya Akwashiki, Abba Moro.
37. Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters – Michael Bamidele, Emmanuel Oker-Jev.
38. Land Transport – Abdulfatai Buhari, Nicholas Tofowomo.
39. Legislative Compliance – Oriolowo Adeyemi, Sabi Abdullahi.
40. Local Content – Teslim Folarin, Sabi Abdullahi.
41. Local and Foreign Debts – Clifford Ordia, Bima Enagi.
42. Marine Transport – Danjuma Goje, Adebayo Osinowo.
43. Media and Public Affairs – Adedayo Adeyeye, Akwashiki Godiya.
44. National Identity and National Population – Sa’idu Alkali, Suleiman Kwari.
45. National Planning – Olubunmi Adetunmbi, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
46. National Security and Intelligence – Abdullahi Gobir, Chukwuka Utazi.
47. Navy – George Sekibo, Elisha Abbo.
48. Niger Delta – Peter Nwabaoshi, Bulus Amos.
49. Petroleum Upstream – Albert Akpan, Ifeanyi Ubah.
50. Police affairs – Dauda Jika, Abubakar Tambuwal.
51. Poverty Alleviation and Social Investment Program – Lawal Gumau, Michael Nnachi.
52. Power -Gabriel Suswam, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
53. Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases – Chuwkuka Utazi, Sadiq Umar.
54. Privatisation – Theodore Orji, Oriolowo Adeyemi.
55. Public Accounts – Mathew Urghohide, Ibrahim Hassan.
56. Public Procurement – Shuaibu Lau, Lola Ashiru.
57. Rules and business – Sadiq Umar, Yahaya Abdullahi.
58. Science and Technology – Uche Ekwunife, Robert Boroffice.
59. Senate Services – Sani Musa, Lawal Hassan.
60. Solid Minerals, Mine, Steel Development and Metallurgy – Tanko Almakura, Oriolowo Adeyeye.
61. Sports and Social Development – Joseph Garba
62. State and Local Government – Lekan Mustapha, Francis Onyewuchi.
63. Special duties – Yusuf Yusuf, Biobaraku Wangagra.
64. SDGs – Aisha Dahiru, Lekan Mustapha
65. Tertiary Institution and TETFUND – Ahmed Baba Kaita, Sandy Onor.
66. Trade and Investment – Rose Oko
Francis Fadahunsi.
67. Water Resources – Bello Mandiya, Christopher Ekpeyong.
68. Women Affairs and Youth Development – Betty Apiafi, Aishatu Dahiru.
69. Works – Adamu Aliero, Emmanuel Bwacha.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Thursday, published a list of 9, 532 alleged land title debtors in Abuja, giving them a two-week ultimatum to settle their outstanding bills.
The list, which includes prominent individuals and government agencies, was published on November 26, with defaulters expected to pay for their certificate of occupancy (C-of- O) within the stipulated timeframe.
Among those listed as defaulters is former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), who owes N152 million for a plot of land in Asokoro, a highbrow area in the nation’s capital. IBB, who ruled Nigeria from 1985 to 1993, is not the only high-profile individual on the list.
Other notable defaulters include Samuel Ortom, former governor of Benue, who owes N950,000 for a plot of land in Bazango, and Aminu Tambuwal, senator representing Sokoto south, who owes N18 million for a plot of land in Carraway Dallas.
The FCTA has threatened to revoke the land titles of defaulters who fail to settle their bills within the stipulated timeframe. The administration has urged defaulters to settle their bills by e-payment to the “FCT department of land administration” account.
In addition to individual defaulters, some federal agencies, including the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the navy, and police, were also named as defaulters.
The Lagos governor’s lodge in Asokoro, the Kaduna state government, and ‘State House Abuja’ were also listed as land title debtors.
This development is not the first time the FCTA has taken steps to recover outstanding debts from landowners. In June this year, the administration set up a committee to recover over N29 billion owed by property owners.
The committee has since identified 430 individuals and organisations as defaulters, with plans to prosecute them.
The FCTA has also partnered with anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to check the activities of land grabbers in the territory.
The Senate has granted approval to the ₦1.77 trillion ($2.2b) loan request of President Bola Tinubu after a voice vote in favor of the request.
The Senate presided by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, approved the loan after the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts chaired by Senator Wammako Magatarkada (APC, Sokoto North) presented the report of the committee.
The request which was submitted by the President on Tuesday is part of a fresh external borrowing plan to partially finance the N9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year.
Tinubu had on Tuesday written to the National Assembly, seeking approval of a fresh N1.767 trillion, the equivalent of $2.209 billion as a new external borrowing plan in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
The fresh loan is expected to stretch the amount spent on debt servicing by the Federal Government. The Central Bank of Nigeria recently said that it cost the Federal Government $3.58 billion to service foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024.
The CBN report on international payment statistics showed that the amount represents a 39.77 per cent increase from the $2.56bn spent during the same period in 2023.
According to the report, while the highest monthly debt servicing payment in 2024 occurred in May, amounting to $854.37m, the highest monthly expenditure in 2023 was $641.70m, recorded in July.
The trend in foreign debt servicing by the CBN highlights the rising cost of debt obligations by Nigeria.
Further breakdown of international debt figures showed that in January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89 per cent, rising to $560.52m from $112.35m in January 2023. February, however, saw a slight decline of 1.84 per cent, with payments reducing from $288.54m in 2023 to $283.22m in 2024.
March recorded a 31.04 per cent drop in payments, falling to $276.17m from $400.47m in the same period last year. April saw a significant rise of 131.77 per cent, with $215.20m paid in 2024 compared to $92.85m in 2023.
The highest debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, when $854.37m was spent, reflecting a 286.52 per cent increase compared to $221.05m in May 2023. June, on the other hand, saw a 6.51 per cent decline, with $50.82m paid in 2024, down from $54.36m in 2023.
July 2024 recorded a 15.48 per cent reduction, with payments dropping to $542.50m from $641.70m in July 2023. In August, there was another decline of 9.69 per cent, as $279.95m was paid compared to $309.96m in 2023. However, September 2024 saw a 17.49 per cent increase, with payments rising to $515.81m from $439.06m in the same month last year.
Given rising exchange rates, the data raises concerns about the growing pressure of Nigeria’s foreign debt obligations.
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Self acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, has been arrested by law enforcement in Finland.
The BBC reports that Ekpa was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also arrested four other men over alleged terrorist offences.
A citizen of Finland and Nigeria, Ekpa has described himself as leader of the separatist IPOB group since Nnamdi Kanu’s incarceration.
Finnish police say Ekpa’s activities and social media rhetoric may have fanned the flames of violence in the south-east of Nigeria.
“He carries out these activities from his social media channels, for example,” said Otto Hiltunen, detective chief inspector of the NBI.
In February 2023, Ekpa was arrested by police at his residence in Lahti but was released after hours of questioning.
Using his social media channels, Ekpa had directed Igbos not to participate in Nigeria’s 2023 general election.
In September 2021, the Biafra agitator and secessionist denounced Nigeria and vowed to return the medal he won for the country at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships.
