Nigeria: Govt to Go After Economic Saboteurs Next Year - Senate Leader

27 December 2023

Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has said that the Federal Government would from next year, go after economic saboteurs, who have made lives difficult and unbearable for Nigerians.

Bamidele also insisted that the National Assembly would pass the 2024 appropriations bill on December 30, to sustain the January-December budget cycle.

He made this disclosure at a session with journalists in Iyin Ekiti, saying all federal lawmakers would have to cut short their holidays to ensure speedy passage of the 2024 appropriations bill.

At the session, Bamidele expressed concerns about the activities of economic saboteurs, who were doing everything to keep exchange rates high against the Naira or trying to make the Naira unavailable to the people who kept their money in banks.

He, therefore, revealed that the Federal Government "will, from next year, go after economic saboteurs, who are making life difficult and unbearable for Nigerians. The Federal Government will charge, prosecute and punish them for their acts of economic sabotage.

"All these will take place next year. In the long run, those who mopped up the Naira and Dollars from the markets will face the consequences of their actions. Those who mopped up the Dollars to keep commodity prices high will definitely not escape justice.

"Those who are speculating are also on the watch list of the federal government. At some points, the federal government will have to go after them," the senate leader revealed the plan of the federal government.

Beyond all these activities of economic saboteurs, Bamidele assured Nigerians that Nigeria would witness a true era of Renewed Hope that would herald development, progress and prosperity, citing diverse plans the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had put in place to transform the national economy.

Senate shifts Plenary sitting to Saturday

Meanwhile, the Senate has postponed its plenary sitting from Friday to Saturday to enable it pass the 2024 Appropriation Bill that was forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu.

The Senate had last week adjourned plenary to Friday this week for members to celebrate the Christmas with their families and friends.

A statement by the Clerk of Senate, Chinedu Akubueze, yesterday, said: "This is to inform Senators that the plenary sitting of the Senate, which was scheduled to be held on Friday, has been postponed to Saturday. Any inconvenience that this shift may cause to Senators is regretted."

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