The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has announced some changes in the leadership position of the Senate.
The announcement was made at the start of plenary session on Tuesday.
According to information before Ibom Telegraph’s News Desk, the announcement by Senator Akpabio, the following key changes were affected:
Oyelola Ashiru, a member of the APC representing Kwara South, has been elevated to the position of deputy senate leader. He previously held the position of deputy whip.
Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, a member of the APC representing Ebonyi North, has been named as the new deputy whip.
These appointments were made following the resignation of David Umahi, who previously held the position of deputy senate leader. Umahi resigned after being appointed as the Minister of Works by President Bola Tinubu.
These changes in leadership positions come shortly after the Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, expressed concerns about the legislative proceedings in the Senate not being in line with the chamber’s rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, all Senators of the 10th Nigerian Senate have arrived Akwa Ibom State for a 4-Day Retreat, scheduled to hold at the Four-Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot Ekpene.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who spoke to newsmen October 18, shortly after an audience with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential villa, Abuja, said that the President needs to be informed that the Senate will not be available in Abuja.
Senator Akpabio was accompanied by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and Chairman Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola. They were also joined by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa.
He said that after the four-day retreat in Akwa Ibom, he will personally travel to Republic of Angola to attend the International Parliamentary Union Convocation.
“So, before he sees me, it will take probably another nine days. So, I needed to inform him. I came to inform the President of the first 10th Assembly retreat which is taking place in Akwa Ibom State and also to solicit his support towards ensuring representation at the retreat and he has graciously done that. I told him some of the things we are going to discuss – tax reform and ways of ensuring the generation of revenue for him to work for Nigerians.”
On the conflicts in the Senate, Akpabio said that there is no cause for concern, saying that one cannot rule out disagreement in parliamentary interactions.
“We are all working in one accord. There is no problem at all. Even if some people disagree on some of the happenings in the senate, still, it is only the majority decision that is going to prevail. Parliament is like that. But we will never get to a point of throwing chairs. “We will never get to that point. The senate is too mature, full of matured people, so, if we have a disagreement, we immediately go into a closed session, resolve it and come out smiling. “We are politicians; no permanent hatred but permanent interest. That interest is the interest of the nation: to support the President, support his administration in legislation, oversight functions, to succeed, in order to move the country forward and that is what we have been doing and that is what we are committed to doing.”
