Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he described as bold economic reforms and notable security gains, while pledging the full support of the National Assembly for key unfinished national priorities, including state policing, improved crude oil production, and infrastructure development.
Akpabio made the remarks after leading a delegation of Senate Principal Officers on a traditional Sallah homage to President Tinubu at his Lagos residence in celebration of Eid al-Kabir.
According to the Senate President, the delegation visited to felicitate with the President, pray for his continued health and wisdom, and seek peace and stability for Nigeria.
“We came here to felicitate the President and also wish him Baraka the Salah on this Eid-el-Kabir and to pray for continuous good health and wisdom for him, as well as peace and stability for Nigeria,” Akpabio said.
He commended Tinubu’s economic policies, particularly the removal of multiple exchange rates, fuel subsidies, and what he termed unsustainable financial practices that had weakened the nation’s economy before the current administration took office in 2023.
“We appreciate Mr. President for his reforms, which have done a lot to reposition Nigeria on the trajectory of growth,” he said.
Akpabio noted that the government inherited an economy burdened by “future sales” of crude oil, excessive spending, and the continuous printing of money without corresponding revenue generation.
“We met multiple exchange rates. He has stopped all that. We met false subsidies. He has stopped all that,” he stated.
The Senate President also identified the disappearance of long fuel queues across the country as one of the administration’s most visible achievements.
He further applauded Tinubu’s tax harmonisation efforts, describing them as transformative and long overdue.
“The harmonisation of taxes in Nigeria is a major achievement. Some of those tax structures dated as far back as 1939. For me, I think he has done excellently well,” Akpabio added.
On security, Akpabio acknowledged that challenges remain but insisted that the situation has improved significantly under the Tinubu administration.
“There is no part of Nigeria today where the flag of insurgents, whether Boko Haram or any other group, is being hoisted,” he said.
He noted that while isolated attacks on soft targets such as schools, churches, and mosques still occur, large-scale bombings and territorial control by insurgent groups have largely been contained.
The Senate President said the National Assembly is currently working on a legal framework for state policing, including plans for a national regulatory commission to oversee state police operations, recruitment, training, and promotions.
“We are looking at ways of creating a positive and not a negative state police system — one that will have proper regulation through a national state police commission,” he explained.
Akpabio also disclosed that lawmakers are considering increasing allocations to the Police Trust Fund from 0.5 percent to one percent of revenue from the federation account to improve police infrastructure and equipment nationwide.
On the economy, he stressed the need to ramp up crude oil production, especially as local refining capacity expands through the Dangote Refinery.
“Now that Dangote Refinery is taking a lot of crude and we have started selling crude in naira, we need to improve production so we can also export more and earn foreign exchange,” he said.
He added that the government is still focused on attracting foreign direct investment, particularly in agriculture and other productive sectors.
Akpabio reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting the President’s policies, saying lawmakers would continue to cooperate with the administration on initiatives aimed at national growth and development.
“We will stand by him so long as everything he proposes is positive for the future growth of this country,” he declared.
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