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Senate Bars NNPC, Others From Spending Money

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The Senate has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other revenue generating agencies to stop further capital expenditure until they comply with the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
It said that the agencies had violated the Act and gave them two weeks to submit their budgets in accordance with the provisions of Section 21 of the law.
The directive was sequel to a motion on “Non-submission of 2017 Budget by Public Corporations in Violation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act” moved by the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Na’Allah, at Wednesday’s plenary.
He said that the Act stipulated that government’s revenue-generating agencies should submit to their supervising ministers, estimates of revenue and expenditure for three years ahead.
Na’Allah said that the submission of the estimates, as contained in the Act, should be done not later than six months from the commencement of the Act and for every three financial years thereafter.
“It should also not be done later than the end of the second quarter of every year’’.
He said that non-compliance with the provisions of the Act amounted to abuse of power and economic sabotage aimed at frustrating current economic measures being taken by the present administration to revive the economy.
He pointed out that the absence of penalties in the provisions of the Act had emboldened and encouraged the perpetration of infractions on it.
The legislator stated that the Fiscal Responsibility Commission was failing in its responsibility in executing of its mandate, owing to complacency.
In his contribution, Deputy President of the Senate, Mr Ike Ekweremadu, said “we are here talking about responsibility of governance, there cannot be any hard responsibility than Fiscal Responsibility because that is the beginning of all evils.
“We must begin to ensure that we live by the laws we make for ourselves.
“If we say that ministers are supposed to send the estimates of various agencies under them with the Appropriation Act of each year that has to be done.
“I recall in 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari sent to this National Assembly the Appropriation Act for that year together with those estimates.
“But, in 2017, the ministers find it impossible to accompany the same Appropriation Bill with those estimates of the agencies under them.
“We cannot be going forte and back. I believe that this is time for us to insist under Section 88 that gives us power of oversight that this has to be done.
“We make laws here for the good governance of this country and that is actually what we have to insist,” he said.
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said that the motion was at the heart of the fight against corruption.
“It is very important that some independent revenue agencies even exceed how much we get from oil revenue.
“So, this is a huge amount to our revenue line. We are talking about looking for money to fund projects, hospitals, education etc; this is where the source of the revenue is.
“And, I cannot see how we can continue in a society where we are fighting corruption, where people will be spending money without approval, without appropriation.
“It must stop; it will stop and is going to stop from now,” Saraki said.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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