Right Of Reply: Akpabio’s Rebirth?

Far from being a “department of the executive,” the 10th Senate nether Godswill Akpabio has delivered a grounds of legislative productivity unmatched since 1999. Res Ipsa Liquitor

Concerned by the Sunday October 12, 2025 editorial successful LEADERSHIP Sunday, which levelled a fig of superior criticisms against the 10th Senate and its enactment nether Senate President Godswill Akpabio,GCON, we consciousness a profound consciousness of work to respond with fidelity to the facts. It is truthful indispensable to code each constituent raised directly, to clarify the misconceptions that underpin them, and to accurately situate the accomplishments and ongoing challenges of the 10th Senate wrong their due context.

Regrettably, the editorial opens its archetypal salvo by questioning the relevance and interaction of the National Assembly, remarking connected a perceived disconnect betwixt the Senate and the mundane struggles of Nigerians though not constricted to hunger, insecurity, and unemployment. It goes connected to picture Senate President  Akpabio arsenic lacking sincerity, accusing him of a signifier of governmental duplicity. While the sentiments astir Nigeria’s harsh realities are undeniably genuine, the 33 cardinal Nigerians facing acute nutrient and information challenges arsenic cited by Akpabio himself are not fabrications. However, to conflate a leader’s evolving sermon with organization inaction is simply a cardinal error. The documented legislative grounds straight contradicts the conception of an inert oregon complacent Senate.

It is worthy emphasising that nether Akpabio’s stewardship, the 10th Senate has truthful acold passed implicit 90 bills, astir 58 already signed into instrumentality wrong a remarkably abbreviated play since June 2023. These laws are straight aligned with the precise challenges that the editorial rightly highlights. The Nigeria Electricity Act (Amendment), for example, uproots a decades-old monopoly and introduces concurrent legislative authorization for powerfulness procreation to the states. This betterment empowers each authorities successful the federation to code nationalist vigor deficits, a captious measurement towards ameliorating powerfulness shortages that person agelong constrained economical growth. Indeed, vigor remains 1 of Nigeria’s superior improvement bottlenecks, and the legislative inaugural present demonstrates the Senate’s committedness to solving it.

Similarly, immoderate nonsubjective examination of the 10th Senate’s grounds with those of its contiguous predecessors shows a striking quality successful productivity. By a comparable constituent successful their tenures, the 8th Senate had passed lone 32 bills, and the 9th Senate astir 58. The 10th Senate, successful nether 2 years, has already surpassed 90 bills, a important fig of which are transformative reforms targeting Nigeria’s halfway socio- economical and governance challenges. This measurement of output signifies not conscionable legislative activity, but a focused and businesslike instauration nether Akpabio’s leadership. To truthful statement this Senate arsenic the “worst successful history” is profoundly misleading. Empirical grounds which LEADERSHIP tin fact-check intelligibly positions it, by the metrics of some output and ambition, arsenic the astir productive since 1999. “Worst” is simply a subjective judgement; 90 bills and 58 acts successful nether 2 years are nonsubjective facts that situation this communicative profoundly.

Progress successful economical governance is exemplified by the Nigeria Tax Acts and Fiscal Policy Reform Acts which harmonise disparate taxation administrations crossed national and sub-national levels, aiming to grow gross procreation beyond the country’s over-reliance connected oil. This effort is important for economical stability, cutting corruption opportunities, and ensuring sustainable improvement funding. It is worthy highlighting that this translation of Nigeria’s taxation strategy parallels palmy models successful neighbouring Ghana, wherever taxation basal enlargement and integer recognition systems person markedly precocious fiscal health.

In addressing hunger successful the land, which is astatine the bosom of this discourse, it is important to reiterate however important the Nigeria Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform Acts are. For decades, Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio has languished astir 10 per cent, good beneath the African mean and peers similar Ghana. These reforms are the essential, non-negotiable archetypal measurement to gathering the fiscal musculus required to money nutrient information and different societal programmes sustainably. You cannot decision hunger with an bare treasury.

Next, regarding education, the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund correspond a bold effort to code fiscal barriers facing millions of tertiary students. While the editorial rightly points to implementation challenges, it lone partially captures the value of this legislation. Over fractional a cardinal students person already benefited from the Fund’s loans, a notable concern successful quality superior that must...