Nnamdi Kanu’s health, Tinubu’s $2.3bn loan request, $18bn refinery audit, other stories from House of Reps
After a nearly ten-week annual recess, the House of Representatives reconvened on Tuesday, 7 October, resuming plenary with a flurry of major legislative activities that signalled a busy return to business.
Enter new lawmakers
When the House reconvened on Tuesday, it proceeded first with a solemn but symbolic ritual, the swearing in of new members to fill some of the vacant seats in the chamber.
Four lawmakers – Omosede Igbinedion (APC, Ovia Federal Constituency, Edo State), who replaced Dennis Idahosa; Muktar Rabiu (APC, Garki/Babura Federal Constituency, Jigawa State), who replaced Isa Dogonyaro; Joseph Bagudu (APC, Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Kaduna State), and Yetunde Elegbeji (APC, Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State), took the oaths of office and allegiance.
They won the by-elections that were held on 16 August to fill seats left vacant following the deaths of the previous occupants.
Only one seat remains unfilled, that of Oyekunle Fola (PDP, Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Oyo State), who is to replace the late Olaide Akinremi.
Tinubu’s fresh request for external borrowing
One of the first major items taken up was a request from President Bola Tinubu, seeking legislative approval for fresh external borrowing and the issuance of a sovereign Sukuk.
The government sought to raise $2.3 billion via external loans and an additional $500 million through a Sukuk issuance. The justification, as presented, is to partially plug funding gaps in the 2025 budget and refinance maturing obligations, including Eurobonds.
The president explained that the 2025 Appropriation Act already provides for ₦9.27 trillion in new borrowing (with ₦1.84 trillion earmarked for external), which this request aims to operationalise through a mix of Eurobonds, syndicated loans, bridge financing, or multilateral credit lines.
The request was referred to the House Committees on Aids, Loans, and Debt Management to scrutinise the terms, implications for debt sustainability, repayment burdens, and macroeconomic impact.
Committees get a week’s ultimatum for pending bill reports
To counter legislative logjams, the House leadership issued a stern directive to committees that have defaulted in delivering reports on pending bills and oversight requests.
Lawmakers were given a one-week ultimatum to submit outstanding legislative report obligations or face further consequences.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, announced the directive following a communication from the Chairperson of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Waive Ejiroghene (APC, Delta).
Lawmakers counter U.S. Senate bill on religious freedom
Another contentious development is the House’s move to counter a United States Senate bill that singles out Nigeria over religious freedom concerns.
The proposed U.S. legislation reportedly contains provisions that could impose sanctions or restrictions on Nigeria if it is judged to be violating religious liberties.
In response, the Nigerian House intends to formulate a legislative or diplomatic countermeasure, potentially condemning foreign interference and rejecting external narratives portraying Nigeria’s security crisis as a purely religious conflict.
Tension over Nnamdi Kanu’s health
A confrontation broke out between Obinna Aguocha, the Labour Party (LP) member representing Umuahia North/Umuahia South/Ikwuano Federal Constituency of Abia State, and Speaker Abbas Tajudeen over his attempt to draw the attention of the House to the worsening health condition of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Mr Aguocha, raising a matter of privilege, attempted to draw the House’s attention to what he described as an urgent human rights and humanitarian concern, urging parliamentary intervention to ensure Kanu receives proper medical care while in custody.
Mr Tajudeen, however, ruled the motion out of order, stating that it did not qualify as a valid matter of privilege under House rules.
Moves to recover $9 billion lost annually to illegal mining
One of the more ambitious initiatives launched this week was the inauguration of an ad hoc committee charged with investigating the estimated US$9 billion that Nigeria loses annually to illegal mining.
The committee’s mandate includes plugging revenue leakages, enforcing existing mining laws, holding defaulting agencies or companies accountable, and ensuring that the wealth in Nigeria’s mineral resources accrues to the public.
Sanni Abdulraheem, the committee’s chairman, described illegal mining not just as an economic loss but as a national security and environmental threat.
He assured that the committee will leave no stone unturned in discharging its constitutional responsibility to expose corruption, curb malpractice, and safeguard the nation’s resources.
The committee is expected to conduct oversight visits, gather evidence, audit relevant agencies, and propose legislative reforms.
Scrutinising the federal scholarship board
In another oversight move, the House resolved to investigate the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) over allegations of mismanagement and non-payment of stipends to Nigerian students studying abroad.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion by Chike Okafor (APC, Imo) after reports emerged that beneficiaries of government and bilateral scholarship programmes had gone months without receiving their entitlements.
The House consequently mandated its Committees on Diaspora, University Education, Foreign Affairs, and Anti-Corruption to jointly probe the operations of the FSB, with a focus on its management of scholarship funds, payment processes, and administrative practices from 2015 to date.
The committees are expected to recommend actionable measures to strengthen accountability, improve oversight mechanisms, and guarantee the timely and transparent payment of stipends to students under government sponsorship.
Motion on International Day of the Girl Child
In observance of the International Day of the Girl Child, the House adopted a motion moved by Kafilat Ogbara (APC, Lagos), urging the government to protect, empower, and invest in girls nationwide.
The motion emphasised the importance of girls’ access to education, health, safety, and livelihoods as strategic to national development.
Through debate and adoption of the motion, the House underscored its recognition of gender considerations and sought to push for policy or budgetary follow-through.
The House asked security agencies and relevant stakeholders to implement concrete measures to protect girls from violence and exploitation during emergencies
Panel to probe $18bn spent on non-functional Nigeria’s refineries
The House also resolved to investigate the reported $18 billion spent on Nigeria’s non-functional refineries over the years.
The decision followed concerns that despite the massive public expenditure on Turnaround Maintenance (TAM), none of the country’s four state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna are operational.
Lawmakers agreed to constitute a special investigative committee to review all expenditures, contracts, and rehabilitation projects undertaken at the refineries from 2010 to date. The probe aims to determine how the huge sums were disbursed, identify officials and contractors responsible for failed projects, and establish why the facilities remain dormant despite repeated assurances of restoration.
The House says the investigation is intended to recover misused funds, expose systemic corruption in refinery maintenance, and push for reforms to make the refineries commercially viable once again.