• Akpabio gives upper chamber’s committee one month to report
Sunday Aborisade and Juliet Akoje in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu yesterday sought the approval of the Senate and the House of Representatives for a N100.5 billion promissory note programme to compensate the Yobe State Government for transferring ownership of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Damaturu, to the federal government
In the Senate, the request, which forms part of the federal government’s 70th Promissory Notes Programme, was referred to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts for scrutiny, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio directing the committee to submit its report within one month.
In a letter read by Akpabio, the proposed reimbursement followed the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the takeover of the airport and repayment of the project cost incurred by the Yobe State Government.
According to the President, the council approved the arrangement at its second extraordinary meeting held on May 23, 2023, under which the Federal Government would reimburse the state through the promissory notes programme.
Tinubu told the Senate that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) had completed its review of the project and recommended N100,509,017,234.55 as the amount payable to the state.
“In the light of the foregoing, I urge the Senate to consider and approve the establishment and issuance by the Debt Management Office of a promissory note programme in the sum of N100,509,017,234.55,” the President stated in the letter.
He also urged the lawmakers to expedite consideration of the request, expressing confidence that the Senate would act promptly on the proposal.
“While looking forward to the expeditious action on this submission, please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest esteem,” Tinubu added.
The referral to the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts marks the next stage of legislative consideration before the Senate determines whether to approve the proposed programme.
If approved, the arrangement would provide the mechanism for the Federal Government to settle its financial obligation to Yobe State for the construction of the airport, following the FEC-approved takeover.
The committee is expected to examine the request and report its findings to the Senate within the one-month period stipulated by Akpabio.
The proposed N100.5 billion reimbursement underscores the financial implications of the Federal Government’s decision to take over infrastructure projects initially financed by state governments, with the promissory notes programme serving as the proposed repayment mechanism in this case.
In the House of Representatives, the request was conveyed in a letter read by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, when lawmakers resumed plenary after their annual recess yesterday.
In the letter, the President requested the lawmakers’ authorisation for the establishment of the programme to facilitate the payment to the state government following the airport’s takeover. The President also appealed to the lawmakers to expedite consideration of the request.
In a separate legislative communication, Tinubu forwarded the National Research Development Fund Bill to the House for consideration, alongside two proposed laws aimed at incorporating international humanitarian and criminal justice instruments into Nigeria’s domestic legal system.
The two other proposals were the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Bill, 2026, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Enforcement Bill, 2026.
Transmitting the bills, the President invoked Section 50A of Section 2 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and requested the House’s consideration of the proposed legislation on the Geneva Conventions and the enforcement of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Bill, 2026, seeks to repeal the existing Geneva Convention Act and incorporate into Nigerian law the Geneva Conventions adopted on August 12, 1949, as well as the two Additional Protocols adopted on June 8, 1977.
The proposed legislation is designed to modernise Nigeria’s legal framework for meeting its obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly in protecting individuals affected by armed conflicts.
Similarly, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Enforcement Bill, 2026, seeks to give legal effect to the Rome Statute in Nigeria and establish provisions for the prosecution and punishment of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other related offences.
The bill also provides for a framework to facilitate Nigeria’s cooperation with the International Criminal Court in the discharge of its mandate.
Responding to the President’s legislative proposals, Abbas assured that the House would give prompt and thorough consideration to the bills and other requests submitted by the executive.
He reiterated the commitment of the 10th National Assembly to prioritising significant legislative proposals, specifically highlighting the National Research Development Fund Bill and the proposed laws seeking to domesticate the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.
The Speaker stressed that the bills relating to the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute carried important national and diplomatic implications.
He noted that their passage would strengthen legal safeguards for civilians, wounded persons and prisoners caught up in armed conflicts.
Abbas however, commended Tinubu for forwarding the proposals to the legislature and expressed confidence that the House would discharge its constitutional responsibilities in examining and acting on the bills.