Highlighting the need for courage and clarity in tackling Nigeria’s onerous challenges, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday described the Senate as a “workshop of solutions” that shouldn’t be mistaken for social media that amplifies momentary noise and whips up emotion.
Speaking during the adjourned plenary for the 2026 budget defence by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), he emphasised that the Senate focuses on addressing substantive issues and turning grievances into policy action.
While urging Nigerians to actively engage their elected representatives, Akpabio challenged citizens to bring whatever concerns they may have to National Assembly members so that public resources can be deployed to promote development, strengthen institutions, and uplift lives.
His words, “Distinguished Senators, the task of representation lies at the very heart of the democratic enterprise. Representation is not an abstraction written only in constitutional language. It is a living covenant between the people and those whom they elect to speak in their name.
“In this age of instantaneous communication, social media has expanded with astonishing speed. It has given voice to millions, and in doing so has enriched the conversation of democracy. Yet we must remind ourselves and our fellow citizens that while social media may raise an alarm, it is the institutions of democracy that must provide the remedy.
“The Senate is not merely a theatre of debate; it is a workshop of solutions. Where social media magnifies the noise of the moment, the Senate addresses the substance of the problem. Where the digital arena stirs emotion, the legislative process pursues resolution. Social media speaks to the moment; representation speaks to the future.
‘Let our people remember that democracy is not only a government of the people, by the people, and for the people; it is the voice of the people — spoken by the people and raised for the people.
“I therefore encourage Nigerians everywhere: engage your representatives. Bring your concerns to those whom you have entrusted with the responsibility of speaking for you. For it is through the instrument of representation that grievances are transformed into policy and concerns into action.
“Distinguished colleagues, among the pressing matters before this chamber stands the national budget — that great ledger of national purpose in which the hopes of millions are translated into the language of public policy. A budget is more than figures upon paper. It is a declaration of national intention. It tells our citizens where we choose to invest our energies, what priorities we pursue, and what future we seek to build.
“It is my earnest hope that every diligence has been exercised by our vigilant and patriotic sectoral committees to ensure that the budget reflects, as faithfully as possible, the aspirations and yearnings of the Nigerian people — the farmer who tills the soil, the trader who labours in the marketplace, the student who studies by lamplight, and the worker whose daily effort sustains the engines of our economy.
“Distinguished colleagues, Nigeria stands today at a moment that calls for clarity of purpose and steadfastness of spirit. The challenges before us are real. But history teaches us that great nations are not built by those who shrink from difficulty; they are built by those who confront it with courage and determination.
“We must therefore ensure that public resources are deployed in ways that promote development, strengthen institutions, expand opportunity, and uplift the lives of our citizens.
“Let us therefore continue to conduct our work with dignity, with seriousness of purpose, and with a patriotic devotion worthy of the trust placed in us by the Nigerian people. Let us debate with vigour but act with wisdom. Let us differ in opinion but remain united in our duty to the Republic. For above all our political differences stands a higher obligation — the obligation to serve Nigeria faithfully and to secure for our people a future worthy of their sacrifice and hope.
“Therefore, as we resume our today, may the spirit of Ramadan inspire our character and strengthen our resolve, may the spirit of Lent illuminate our conscience and guide our actions, and may the Almighty guide our deliberations as we labour together for the peace, unity, and prosperity of our beloved country.”
