By George Mgbeleķe

Disturbed by the long silence of National Assmbly over the huge allocation to an illegal Agency, Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu has urged the Senate to launch an independent investigation into how the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, an entity publicly disowned by the Presidency as “fake” and “fictitious”, was allocated N1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act.

Moving a motion on the floor o Senate on Tuesday under Order 9 and Rule 9(c) of the Senate Standing Orders, Senator Kawu, representing Kano South, described the development as a “matter of grave institutional concern” that threatens the integrity of the National Assembly and the credibility of the budget process.

Sen. Kawu told the chamber that despite the Executive publicly disavowing PFIPC and directing law enforcement to arrest its “self-acclaimed officials” for alleged forgery and impersonation, the entity was still captured in the 2026 budget under Code 0111062001.

According to him, the allocation totals *N1,302,978,784*, broken down into *N802,978,784 for personnel costs, N200,000,000 for overhead, and N300,000,000 for capital expenditure*.

“Although sections of the media described the matter as a ‘N2 Billion scandal,’ the verifiable appropriation stands at over N1.3 Billion Naira for an entity now officially claimed by the Government to be non-existent,” Kawu said.

He expressed concern that the inclusion undermines public confidence, exposes weaknesses in budgetary scrutiny, and subjects the Federal Government to “avoidable domestic and international criticism” over transparency and fiscal governance.

In response to his motion Senate resloved as follows:
1. *Condemn* the administrative lapses or fraudulent schemes that allowed PFIPC into the budget.
2. *Direct* the Committees on Ethics, Code of Conduct & Public Petitions and Appropriations to investigate:
a. How the N1.3bn was proposed, scrutinized and approved;
b. The MDAs and officials responsible for facilitating PFIPC’s inclusion;
c. Whether any funds have been released or any bank account operated under the budget line.

Fielding questions from journalists Sen. Kawu clarified that his focus was not on whether the President can create an agency, but on “who legalized the inclusion or who facilitated the inclusion of that agency in the national budget,” which he said is the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly.

“Any inclusion, any overhead, it is executive proposal. But the constitution too allowed us to compose a budget. We can add. We can subtract. Therefore, if that agency is new and did not emanate from the budget office of the President, then who is responsible in the National Assembly?” he queried.

He noted that while President Bola Tinubu has constituted a committee to investigate the PFIPC saga, the legislature must also “do its own” to safeguard the integrity of the appropriation process.

The motion sparked debate on procedure, with some lawmakers referencing Order 9(9c) on matters of privilege and national importance. Sen. Kawu insisted he invoked privilege because “it has power” and “nobody can stop you.”

He added that most senators are “in support of my position” that the National Assembly cannot “keep quiet” while its name is linked to the controversy.

On whether any money had been released to PFIPC. Sen. Kawu said that was part of what the proposed investigation must determine. “Budget is the most important aspect of this issue. If there is no budget, they can easily go with it. But there is budget. Therefore, they must tell us from where it comes.”

By George Mgbeleke

The Senate Committee on Regional Development has raised concerns over the operations of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), particularly the delay in appointing executive directors, alleged internal divisions, and the spending of about N943 million on board allowances.

At an investigative session with officials of the commission and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, lawmakers questioned why the NWDC remains the only regional development commission without executive directors, despite being among the first to be established by an Act of the National Assembly.

Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, told the committee that the ministry had intervened in the lingering dispute over office accommodation for the commission in Kano. He explained that the NWDC initially operated from offices donated by private organisations, but disagreements over which facility should serve as its headquarters created friction between the board and management.

According to the minister, the Kano State Government has now provided a fully furnished office, operational vehicles and a plot of land for the commission. He said the ministry, board and management formally took over the facility last week and directed that all other offices be shut to end the controversy.

“The North West Development Commission is the only commission that does not yet have executive directors. Every other regional commission has its full management structure in place. Something urgent must be done for the commission to function effectively,” Ahmadu told the committee.

He said the absence of executive directors had weakened the commission’s management structure and contributed to its operational difficulties since inauguration. Ahmadu noted that although the board was inaugurated in February 2025 to prevent further delays in take-off, the commission had continued to face one crisis after another.

The minister also compared the situation in Kano with arrangements in other regions, noting that state governments in Enugu, Oyo and Nasarawa had provided office accommodation for their respective regional commissions without controversy. He said the expectation was that Kano State would do the same and that the latest intervention should finally end the office dispute.

During the session, senators also raised concerns over delays in convening board meetings, the commission’s financial records and the scale of spending on board-related allowances. One lawmaker queried how the board could claim to have no cash backing while still undertaking official visits to governors and other stakeholders.

Another senator questioned the payment of duty tour allowance to the Managing Director for a visit to the Governor of Kano State, despite the fact that the commission’s headquarters is in Kano. The lawmaker said the claim reportedly included air tickets, local transport and other running costs, and asked why such expenditure was necessary for what should have been a local engagement.
The committee was particularly alarmed by documents indicating that out of N1.19 billion spent by the commission, N943 million went to allowances for members of the governing board, representing nearly 79 per cent of the expenditure under that subhead.

Lawmakers described the figure as disturbing and inconsistent with the purpose for which the commission was established — to bring development closer to the people of the North West and tackle pressing challenges, especially insecurity and infrastructure deficits.

The Chairman Governing board Abdullahi Lawal defended the board’s activities, saying its actions were backed by the North West Development Commission Act, 2024. He said the board had held seven meetings — five regular and two emergency sessions — during which it passed 63 resolutions aimed at putting in place the institutional and policy framework for the commission.

According to him, the board approved standing orders, operational guidelines, committee structures, budget frameworks and fund allocation principles for the seven North West states. He added that committee activities and sitting allowances were lawful governance expenses under the commission’s establishing Act.

Lawal , however, drew a distinction between the approval of expenditure and the actual disbursement of funds. He said while the board approved legitimate governance expenses, responsibility for processing payments rested with the commission’s management, particularly the Managing Director and finance officials.

He also complained of what he described as the non-implementation of board resolutions, communication gaps and the slow execution of key operational decisions, all of which, he said, had hampered the smooth take-off of the commission.

Several senators insisted that the ministry must take responsibility for the failure to complete the commission’s management structure, especially the appointment of executive directors. They argued that the continued vacuum was undermining the effectiveness of the NWDC at a time when the North West urgently needs coordinated development intervention.

Lawmakers also raised concerns over delays in staff recruitment and the implementation of the commission’s capital budget, despite approvals reportedly granted since February. They stressed that the commission was created to address development deficits and insecurity in the region and should not be bogged down by administrative disputes and governance lapses.

At the end of the public hearing, the committee resolved to move into executive session to consider sensitive issues and receive further clarifications from officials.

The hearing forms part of the Senate’s ongoing oversight of the newly created regional development commissions, which were established to accelerate infrastructure delivery, economic recovery and peace-building across the country’s geo-political zones.

By George Mgbeleke

Rivers State Governor, Fubara, has reiterated that security remains the cornerstone of every prosperous society, stressing that peace and stability are indispensable to sustainable development.

In a statement signed by Head Information and Public Relations Unit, Juliana Masi Governor Fubara made the assertion on Sunday at the Gala Night marking the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration held in Port Harcourt.

The Governor, represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, commended the Nigerian Army for its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity and maintaining peace across the country.

“As everyone knows, security remains the vital foundation of any prosperous society, and a nation sleeps in peace because brave men and women stand awake in its defence,” he said.

He paid tribute to fallen military personnel, describing their sacrifices as invaluable to Nigeria’s unity and democratic growth.

“We honour those who have paid the ultimate price and stand in solidarity with the families they left behind. Their sacrifices continue to preserve our nation’s unity, protect our territorial integrity, and sustain our democracy,” the Governor stated.

Governor Fubara reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining collaboration with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies operating in the state.

According to him, the strong partnership between the Rivers State Government and the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division has significantly contributed to improved peace, security, and economic growth in the state.

“We sincerely appreciate the Nigerian Army’s relentless efforts in maintaining law and order in Rivers State, creating an environment where residents can live and sleep peacefully,” he added.

In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, said the Nigerian Army Day Celebration provides another opportunity to strengthen public support, deepen civil-military relations, and execute community development projects across Rivers State.

He noted that as part of the celebration, the Army undertook several intervention projects, including the renovation of Community Secondary Schools and the provision of solar-powered boreholes to improve the welfare of host communities.

Lieutenant General Shaibu emphasized that achieving lasting national security requires the trust, cooperation, and active participation of citizens.

“As an Army, we recognize the indispensable role of the people in supporting our efforts to achieve national security objectives within a joint, multifaceted, and dynamic security environment. Enduring security can only be achieved through a strong partnership between the military, other security agencies, and the communities we are sworn to protect. This understanding forms the basis of our Civil-Military Cooperation Projects Scheme and other non-kinetic operations,” he said.

The Army Chief expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Government and its people for their continued support of the Nigerian Army, assuring them of the military’s commitment to both kinetic and non-kinetic operations in addressing security challenges.

“We will continue to collaborate with other security and intelligence agencies, as well as local communities, to provide a secure and enabling environment for socio-economic development.

“I urge all Nigerians to continue to trust the Nigerian Army and remain steadfast in supporting our collective efforts toward ensuring lasting peace, stability, and national development,” he said.

The evening also had special performances from Mr P (formerly P Square), Duncan Mighty, the Rivers State Cultural Troupe and others.