The Senate and House of Representatives resumed plenary on Tuesday, September 26 after several weeks of recess. At the Senate, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio welcomed his colleagues back from recess and called on them to rise above their differences and work for the welfare of their constituents and the entire country. He also enjoined them to co-operate with him and maintain unity in order to work for the progress of the country.
At its resumption, the Senate confirmed President Tinubu’s nominee, Olayemi Cardoso as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as well as four others as Deputy Governors of the CBN – Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor and Bala Bello. The nominees were screened through various questions asked by the Senators. The questions bordered on monetary policies, naira exchange rate volatility, political partisanship in the CBN, proper focus on the CBN’s statutory responsibilities, including reasonable application of Ways and Means. The CBN Governor nominee assured that under his leadership, the Bank will embrace a culture of compliance and run a transparent system.
At its plenary resumption, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas spoke about the current economic challenges in the country and the difficulties faced by Nigerians. He spoke on the planned labour union strike, calling on the NLC and the TUC to suspend their proposed nationwide strike. The Labour Congress had at the end of its the 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government had decided to embark on a nationwide strike commencing October 3.
The Speaker also noted that legislative actions must dictate a clear vision aimed at supporting the Executive to restore citizens on the path of prosperity. He also reiterated the House’s commitment to working out a ‘realistic’ new national minimum wage and other palliatives to cushion the effects of the prevailing economic challenges.