Barely 24 hours after a presidential aide, Maryam Uwais, lashed out at the leadership of the National Assembly, the latter has responded, saying its comments were misinterpreted. Ms Uwais, had in a lengthy statement, described some claims made by the leadership of the national assembly as false and dangerous. She went further…

The federal government has cut down the 2020 budget by over N320 billion and proposed a new budget of N10.27 trillion against the N10.59 trillion passed by the national assembly. This is based on the global economic realities as a result of the coronavirus pandemic as well as recent crisis…

The leadership of the National Assembly has criticised the approach adopted by the federal government to distribute social grant to Nigerians who suffer the impact of the coronavirus lockdown. It called for legislation for the programme in line with global best practices. The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker…

The Senate has extended the suspension of the plenary in order to comply with the lockdown order given to contain the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 is a deadly respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus. It has infected over a million people globally and caused over 60,000 deaths. The Senate’s spokesperson,…

The federal government wants to create a N500 billion crisis intervention fund to help contain the rising cases of coronavirus across the country. The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, presented an executive proposal to "establish a N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund" during a meeting with…

In a bid to assist the federal government in its fight against COVID-19, Nigerian senators will donate half of their salaries beginning from this month to combat the pandemic. The Senate spokesperson, Godiya Awashiki, made the announcement in a statement on Monday. The decision which will commence from March, was…

The federal government will release N6.5 billion to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the finance minister, Zainab Ahmed, has said. The fund, she said, is an intervention to assist in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 in Nigeria. She made this disclosure during a meeting with…

The leadership of the National Assembly on Wednesday met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and the Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, over the planned review of the 2020 budget. Also present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem…

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts might consider demanding an arrest warrant for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over his refusal to honour invitations extended to him by the legislature. Chairman of the committee, Matthew Urhoghide, made this known on Tuesday during a public hearing.…

No Nigerian senator has tested positive to the fast- spreading Coronavirus, an official has said. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), made this known to journalists during a press briefing on Tuesday. This was in reaction to reports that some senators and members…

In a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus disease, the Senate has suspended its plenary sessions for two weeks. The announcement was made by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at the start of plenary on Tuesday. The announcement followed a closed-door session which lasted over an hour. Mr Lawan…

A Nigerian senator, Rose Oko, is dead. She died on Monday night at a UK medical facility where she went for treatment, an associate said. The associate confirmed her death on Tuesday. He however, did not want his name mentioned because he is not authorised to make the announcement. He…

The management of the National Mosque, Abuja, has suspended the daily prayers indefinitely. Also suspended are gatherings and other activities in the mosque. The directive is to take effect immediately. This announcement was made in a communique issued by the management on Monday. "In view of the current health issue…

A former Bayelsa State senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, has announced the death of his wife, Evelyn Murray-Bruce. Mr Murray-Bruce, who made the announcement on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts on Friday morning, said his wife died of cancer. In his message, he described his late wife as a blessing to…

The Senate has said it is too early to question President Muhammadu Buhari's silence on the cases of Coronavirus in the country following a call by the lawmakers on Wednesday. The Senate's spokesperson, Godiya Akwashiki, said this during a press briefing on Thursday. His comment comes barely 24 hours after…

A bill to empower the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise public debates for political candidates has scaled second reading at the Senate. This includes candidates of political parties running for the offices of president, vice president, governors and deputy governors. The bill was first introduced in the Senate in…

In a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, the Nigerian Senate has suspended all public hearings and excursions to the National Assembly. The gallery of the chamber will also remain closed to visitors until further notice. The announcement was made by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at…

The Senate has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address Nigerians on the coronavirus in the country. It also urged the federal government to shut down all international airports except Lagos and Abuja airports for easier monitoring of the disease. The lawmakers asked the president to suspend the issuance of…

A bill to allow women be identified as indigenes of a state by marriage and thus be able to contest elections in such state has scaled second reading at the Senate. The bill titled "A Bill for an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic…

The Senate, on Tuesday, said the review of the 2020 budget passed by the National Assembly has become inevitable as a result of tumbling oil prices amidst the coronavirus outbreak. The finance minister, Zainab Ahmad, recently expressed a similar view. The Senate's stance was sequel to the receipt and deliberation…

The Senate, on Tuesday, urged the federal government and members of the National Assembly to donate to the N2 billion ”Abule -Ado Emergency Relief Fund” set up by the Lagos State government. This was one of the resolutions of the Senate after deliberation on a motion on the urgent need…

A busy week it was at the Senate last week as many lawmakers worked for four days attending to national matters. This week's legislative activities began from Monday through Thursday. Senators discussed several issues of national importance ranging from the oil price crash to the Social Media bill and constitutional…

A memorial colloquium was on Thursday held in honour of Bjorn Beckman, a Marxist scholar who died in November 2019. The memorial was organised by friends, former students and colleagues of the scholar. The theme of the lecture in memory of the 81-year old Marxist scholar was “The Future of…

A bill that seeks to strip vice-presidents, governors and deputy governors of immunity when found guilty of fraud or electoral crimes, has scaled second reading at the Senate. The legislation however, excludes the president. The bill, sponsored by the deputy senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege, was one of 10 constitutional amendment…

The South-east caucus in the Senate, on Thursday, complained about the exclusion of the region in infrastructural projects for which the federal government has borrowed $22.7 billion. The senators took the protest to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representives, Femi Gbajabiamila. This comes…