RismadarVoice Reporters
September 28, 2026
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged members of the National Assembly to remain committed to safeguarding public funds, saying lawmakers have a responsibility to protect the public purse and ensure accountability in the management of national resources.
Akpabio made the call on Monday at the 2026 Capacity-Building Workshop organised by the Senate Press Corps.
The workshop, themed “Leveraging Legislative Oversight and Media Collaboration to Safeguard the National Budget from Unlawful Insertions,” focused on strengthening legislative oversight and the role of the media in promoting transparency in Nigeria’s budget process.
Represented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Akpabio said both the legislature and the media have important responsibilities to Nigerians.
“Parliament must guard the public purse, the press must illuminate the public record, and both must answer to the Nigerian people from whom all public authority comes,” he said.
The Senate President also urged journalists covering the National Assembly to deepen their understanding of the Constitution and parliamentary procedures to improve the quality and accuracy of legislative reporting.
According to him, parliamentary journalism requires reporters to balance the pressure to publish information quickly with the responsibility to verify facts and provide accurate accounts of legislative proceedings.
Akpabio said sensational allegations could spread rapidly while subsequent corrections often receive considerably less public attention.
He therefore called for journalism capable of withstanding scrutiny, particularly as Nigerians confront economic and other national challenges.
“Nigeria needs reporting strong enough to withstand scrutiny. We face real hardships and disagreements, and the public deserves facts that help us confront them,” he said.
Akpabio maintained that exposing wrongdoing was an important public service but cautioned journalists against presenting speculation or unverified allegations as facts.
He said responsible journalism should combine scrutiny of public institutions with a commitment to factual reporting.
The workshop brought together stakeholders involved in Nigeria’s budget, legislative and accountability processes.
Participants included Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, BudgIT Director Oluseun Onigbinde, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre Auwal Musa Rafsanjani and Eagle Times Newspaper publisher Ikechukwu Chukwunyere.
Discussions centred on legislative oversight, budget management, media reporting and measures for strengthening transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
