Politics
Lawmaker Cautions Okorocha Against Negative Utterances
The Chairman, Imo House of Assembly Committee on Public Safety, Intelligence and Securities, Barr. Frank Ugboma has cautioned Sen. Rochas Okorocha, the immediate past governor of the state, over utterances of anarchy in ImoState.
The former governor had last Friday said his arrest order by Imo State government was an open invitation to anarchy and fracas in the state.
Okorocha, representing Imo West at the Senate, was reacting to a call last Thursday by the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Mr Uche Onyeaguocha for Okorocha’s arrest over an alleged assault of a government official at Okorocha’s residence.
A video trending online captured some thugs flogging Mr Jasper Ndubuaku, Chairman, Imo Committee on Recovery of Government Property at Okorocha’s residence in Owerri.
Angered by the development, the SSG told journalists that Okorocha was now on Imo State government security watch list.
But Okorocha in a release, said such order would only cause disaffection in Imo State because people of the state would always come out to protect him any time he was under siege.
“The arrest order only added to their disrespect for me as the past governor and this is a very bad precedence which the government of Governor Emeka Ihedioha is creating,” okorocha had said.
Ugboma however told newsmen in Lagos last Sunday that it was wrong of Okorocha to question constituted authority in the state.
The lawmaker representing Oguta constituency of Imo, said that beating of the committee chairman of recovery of government property was wrong as he was on an official assignment for the state.
“In 2011, when Okorocha took over from Chief Ikedi Ohakim as Imo governor, he made Dr Placid Ekwueme, his recovery committee chairman and no one attacked him even when he attacked and took away things from people.
“Ekwueme went to homes to recover alleged stolen property and nobody stopped him. Why is Okorocha bitter and angry now.
“Okorocha’s reaction is an afront on a sitting governor and his statement an insult on all of us.
“It is also a disservice in his office as a lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a past governor of the state.
“The office of a governor in a state is an exalted one which Okorocha also occupied. His anarchy statement is barbaric because we are not in a military era,” he said.
According to Ugboma, Okorocha is free to seek redress if he feels aggrieved rather than make utterances that may lead to anarchy in the state.
“There are so much challenges of security in the land and leaders must be careful to avoid statements or actions that may further compound the situation.
“Any action or statement that may incite the people must be taken and treated seriously as treason of sorts considering the state of security in Nigeria,” he added.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
