N’Assembly to Fast-Track Security, Economic Reforms in Support of Tinubu — Akpabio

• Senate President Godswill Akpabio has explained why the National Assembly remains committed to supporting President Bola Tinubu.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s administration in tackling insecurity and advancing key economic reforms.

Akpabio made the remarks after leading principal officers of the Senate on a traditional Sallah homage to President Tinubu at his Lagos residence.

According to the Senate President, the challenges facing Nigeria require collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government.

“He can’t do it alone. The National Assembly will assist him to ensure that we improve in the area of security. But it has actually improved,” Akpabio said.

He argued that the country’s security situation has improved compared to previous years when insurgents occupied territories and carried out frequent bomb attacks.

“There is no part of Nigeria today where the flag of any insurgents, whether Boko Haram, is being hoisted. All those organised bomb blasts everywhere have been brought to an end,” he stated.

Despite the progress, Akpabio acknowledged that more work remains to be done, particularly in protecting vulnerable communities, schools, churches, mosques and border regions.

The Senate President disclosed that lawmakers are considering a framework for state policing as part of efforts to strengthen security nationwide.

“We believe that working with him, the National Assembly can come up with a solution and a framework that will enable the states to also partake in securing lives and property, and that is in the area of state police,” he said.

According to him, the proposed system would be regulated through a national structure to ensure accountability and professionalism.

“We are looking at ways of creating a positive and not a negative state police, something that can have a national state police commission that will regulate conduct, promotion and training,” he added.

Akpabio also called on Nigerians to support security agencies by remaining vigilant and reporting suspicious activities within their communities.

Speaking on the economy, the Senate President praised Tinubu’s reforms, saying they have placed Nigeria on a path of recovery and growth.

“We came to appreciate Mr President for his reforms, which have done a lot to reposition Nigeria on the trajectory of growth,” he said.

He noted that the administration inherited major economic challenges, including fuel subsidy payments, multiple exchange rates and heavy borrowing.

“We met multiple exchange rates. He has stopped all that. We met a situation of fuel subsidies. He has stopped all that,” Akpabio stated.

The Senate President also highlighted major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto road corridor as transformational initiatives that could boost economic development and agriculture.

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“The Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto road has about 74 dams that will revolutionise the agricultural sector in the country,” he said.

Akpabio further disclosed that the National Assembly is considering increasing statutory funding for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund from 0.5 per cent to one per cent of federation revenue allocation to strengthen policing and security infrastructure.

He assured Nigerians that lawmakers would continue to support policies and programmes they believe are beneficial to the country’s long-term growth and development.

“We will stand by him so long as everything he proposes is positive for the future growth of this country,” Akpabio stated.