The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called on members of the National Assembly to strengthen their commitment to safeguarding public funds and ensuring that government resources are used in the interest of Nigerians.
Akpabio also urged journalists covering the Senate to raise the standard of parliamentary reporting by developing a deeper understanding of the Constitution, legislative procedures and the rules guiding the operations of the National Assembly.
The Senate President made the call on Monday while speaking at the 2026 Capacity-Building Workshop organised by the Senate Press Corps.
The workshop, which centred on the theme, “Leveraging Legislative Oversight and Media Collaboration to Safeguard the National Budget from Unlawful Insertions,” examined the responsibilities of lawmakers and the media in promoting transparency and accountability in the preparation and implementation of the national budget.
Represented at the event by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Akpabio described the theme of the workshop as particularly important to the principles of representative government.
He said the legislature and the media had distinct but complementary responsibilities in ensuring that public resources were properly accounted for and that citizens remained informed about government activities.
“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,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President further charged lawmakers to remain vigilant in the discharge of their oversight responsibilities, particularly in matters concerning the protection of the national budget from improper or unlawful insertions.
He also advised parliamentary correspondents to ensure that speed does not compromise accuracy in their reporting, stressing the importance of thoroughness and careful verification when covering legislative proceedings.
According to him, journalists reporting the activities of the Senate must strike a balance between meeting the demand for timely news and maintaining the professional responsibility to provide accurate information to the public.
Akpabio therefore encouraged members of the Senate Press Corps to broaden their knowledge of legislative processes and constitutional provisions to improve the quality and credibility of parliamentary reporting in Nigeria.
