The Senate has confirmed 64 nominees for career and non-career ambassadorial positions after adopting the report of its Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The confirmation followed the presentation of the committee’s report by its chairman, Senator Sani Bello, which was subsequently considered and approved by the upper chamber.

During deliberations, Senator Sahabi Yau raised concerns over the absence of any nominee from Zamfara State in the list and urged that the matter be brought to the attention of the President.

Responding, the President of the Senate acknowledged the concern and explained that the list submitted was not exhaustive.

He assured lawmakers that additional nominations were expected and that Zamfara State would not be excluded.

He also pledged to raise the issue directly with President Bola Tinubu.

President Tinubu had, on December 4, forwarded a request to the Senate seeking confirmation of 65 ambassadorial nominees, comprising 34 career ambassadors and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.

The letter was read on the floor of the Senate during plenary.

The list of nominees includes several prominent political figures among the non-career appointments, such as former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.
Others on the list are Senator Ita Enang, former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Chioma Ohakim, Bello Danbazau, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete (retd.), and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, among others.

The ambassadorial nominations were referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for screening, bringing the total number of nominees considered by the Senate to 68.

This followed the earlier screening and confirmation of three nominees; Kayode Are, Aminu Dalhatu, and Ayodele Oke.

The nominations have continued to generate mixed reactions nationwide. While some stakeholders criticised the inclusion of certain nominees, others defended the President’s choices.

A former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joe Keshi, questioned the suitability of some nominees, while the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, criticised the Senate’s screening process.

However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, described the nominees as the best choices for Nigeria’s diplomatic interests, insisting that the final outcome would ultimately be judged by their performance in office.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the Appropriation (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2024–2025 to the House of Representatives, seeking legislative approval for a N43.56 trillion spending plan aimed at ending the long-standing practice of running multiple budgets simultaneously.

The bill, transmitted in line with constitutional appropriation procedures, authorises the withdrawal of N43,561,041,744,507 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, read the President’s letter during Wednesday’s plenary.

He disclosed that the proposed expenditure comprises N1.74 trillion for statutory transfers, N8.27 trillion for debt servicing, N8.11 trillion for recurrent non-debt spending, and N22.28 trillion allocated to capital expenditure and development fund contributions.

Multiple and overlapping budget cycles have remained a persistent feature of federal fiscal management, often justified by the government and the National Assembly as necessary to complete ongoing projects.

Under the Tinubu administration, lawmakers have approved several overlapping budgets, further entrenching the practice.

In 2024 alone, Nigeria operated three budgets: the N21.8 trillion 2023 budget, the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget, and the N28.7 trillion 2024 appropriation.

Although the first two were passed under the administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu extended their capital components initially to June and later to December 2024, even as the 2024 budget was already in operation.

A similar pattern continued in 2025, with the capital component of the 2024 budget extended twice, first to June 2025 and subsequently to December 2025.

As a result, the country is currently implementing two budgets concurrently: the extended 2024 budget and the 2025 budget estimated at N54.2 trillion, which lawmakers increased by N7 billion from the President’s original proposal.

In his letter, Tinubu said the new bill is intended to halt the cycle of multiple budget implementations, which he noted often complicates fiscal planning and delays the execution of capital projects.

He said the legislation would help achieve significantly improved performance levels for the 2024 and 2025 capital budgets, signalling a shift toward a more capital-driven expenditure framework.

The President explained that the bill also provides a transparent and constitutionally sound mechanism for consolidating and appropriating urgent expenditures incurred in response to emergencies, including spending related to national security and public welfare, while maintaining fiscal discipline.

According to Tinubu, the proposed law strengthens accountability by mandating that appropriated funds are released and utilised strictly for the purposes approved by the National Assembly.

Any virement or alteration of approved spending, he said, would require prior legislative consent.

He added that the bill establishes provisions for correcting genuine errors through corrigenda, requires separate documentation of excess revenues, restricts their expenditure to National Assembly approval, and mandates periodic reporting on fund releases and revenues generated by government agencies.

Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the bill expedited consideration, stressing its importance to improving budget discipline, transparency and effective implementation of government programmes.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has disclosed that his administration met more than N600 billion in the state’s coffers after the period of emergency rule, insisting that public funds under his watch are being managed prudently and transparently.

Fubara said he left about N300 billion in government accounts before President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in the state, stressing that official records clearly support his claim.

The governor spoke on Wednesday at the commissioning of the 14.2-kilometre Obodhi–Ozochi Road linking Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas.

His comments followed recent criticisms from the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, who raised concerns over the state of public schools and questioned how funds left behind after the emergency rule were being utilised.

Amaewhule had earlier stated during plenary that the immediate past Sole Administrator, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), handed over more than N600 billion when emergency rule was lifted.

He also decried the poor condition of Township State School 1 along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, noting the absence of basic facilities such as toilets despite the school’s proximity to Government House.

The Speaker made the remarks while responding to a report by the House Committee on Education, chaired by Aforji Igwe, following an inspection of the school.

He queried the state government’s spending priorities, a development that appeared to revive tensions between the executive and legislative arms.

Responding indirectly, Fubara said all state funds were being deployed responsibly and that his administration’s financial records were open to scrutiny.

“I want to say to the whole world that when we left during the emergency rule, our records were intact. We left over N300 billion, and when we returned, we met about N600 billion and more,” the governor said.

He added that no allegations of misconduct could be linked to him, assuring residents that details of government spending would be made available and verifiable.

Fubara promised that within six months, his administration would present clear evidence of how public funds were being utilised.

He explained that some criticisms stemmed from his government’s preference for completing projects before commissioning them, rather than engaging in elaborate flag-off ceremonies.

“We don’t believe in fluffing off projects. We believe in commissioning them,” he said, adding that several impactful projects were ongoing across the state.

On the Obodhi–Ozochi Road, the governor noted that the project was initiated under his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, as part of preparations for the 2023 general elections through a former lawmaker and then Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie.

He said his administration not only completed the project but expanded its scope.

Fubara also approved the community’s request for additional internal roads and urged Ehie to mobilise the large crowd at the event in support of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

“This crowd I’m seeing should be translated into the support we will give to Mr President come 2027,” the governor said.

Farouk Ahmed has resigned from his position as Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority following allegations of corruption made against him by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

The development was confirmed on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed the resignation in a brief statement.

Dangote had earlier accused Ahmed of financial impropriety and formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, requesting a probe into the allegations.

Details shortly…