Shehu Sani, a former Nigerian lawmaker, has taken to his verified Twitter handle to criticize the 9th Senate’s approval of President Muhammadu Buhari’s requests. Sani accused the Senate of hastily approving the requests without proper scrutiny. In his tweet on May 25, 2023, Sani listed four last-minute Presidential requests that were approved without “serious interrogation.”
First on the list was a request for an $800m World Bank loan. The second was a request for a N22.3 trillion ways and means CBN loan. The third was a request for a $556.7m, £98.5m, and N226.2 billion judgement debt. Finally, the fourth request was for a refund of N22 billion to two ruling party states.
Sani’s tweet has raised concerns about the transparency of the Senate’s decision-making process. Many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their disappointment and frustration with the Senate’s apparent lack of due diligence in approving these requests.
The Senate’s approval of these requests without proper scrutiny has also raised questions about the country’s debt profile. With Nigeria already owing a significant amount of money to foreign lenders, many are worried that the addition of the World Bank loan and the CBN loan could lead to further debt crisis.
It remains to be seen what actions, if any, will be taken in response to Sani’s criticism of the Senate’s approval of these requests. For now, many Nigerians are left hoping that their leaders will prioritize transparency and accountability in their decision-making processes.