Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called for immediate and decisive legislative intervention to tackle Nigeria’s deepening economic crisis, energy sector instability, and escalating security challenges.
Speaking on Tuesday at the resumption of plenary after the Easter and Eid-el-Fitr recess, Akpabio acknowledged the strain that the current economic climate is placing on ordinary Nigerians, urging his colleagues to rise to the moment with focus and a renewed sense of duty.
“Insecurity, energy instability, and rising costs are not just issues demanding attention, they demand legislative action,” he declared.
“The people are watching. The world is watching. Our constituents are watching. And history, silent but unsleeping, is watching.”
Reflecting on the recent religious holidays, Akpabio emphasized their symbolic importance, framing them as moral guides for national leadership.
“These sacred seasons, Christianity’s celebration of resurrection and Islam’s culmination of fasting and charity, must guide the work we do here. Let them speak through our debates and shine in the quality of the laws we make,” he said.
He detailed the country’s ongoing security concerns, pointing to terrorism and criminality in the South-East and North-West, recurring farmer-herder conflicts in the North-Central, and unresolved environmental and justice issues in the South-South.
“These are not just headlines—they are the bleeding wounds of our republic. Our people look to us, not for rhetoric, but for rescue,” Akpabio stated.
He also turned attention to the national debate on electoral and judicial reforms, which he described as vital to the country’s democratic progress.
Calling for integrity and patriotism from lawmakers, Akpabio noted that the Senate would soon begin deliberations on key bills addressing national security, economic recovery, education, technology, and youth empowerment.
“Let every vote we cast, every motion we raise, and every oversight we conduct bear the fingerprints of integrity and patriotism,” he charged.
In his message to the public, Akpabio reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to transformative governance: “To the Nigerian people, I say this: Your Senate is back at work. We have not forgotten your hopes, your hardships, or your hunger for change. We are here—refreshed in spirit, renewed in resolve—to build a nation where peace is not an illusion and progress is not a promise, but a pattern.”
