A week after the House of Representatives threatened to halt further consideration of Senate bills over delayed concurrence, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has moved to de-escalate tensions by promising that the upper chamber will clear the backlog of House-passed bills within two weeks.

Akpabio made the assurance on Tuesday during the second House of Representatives open week held at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

Akpabio’s pledge follows growing dissatisfaction among lawmakers in the Green Chamber over what they said was the Senate’s habitual neglect of bills transmitted by the House.

During a plenary session last week, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda led a protest during which the House stepped down a Senate bill to establish an orthopaedic hospital in Osun State.

Chinda, supported by several lawmakers, accused the Senate of failing to treat House bills with equal urgency.

He cited instances where critical legislation had remained unattended for over six months.

Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abass, confirmed that 146 bills were awaiting Senate concurrence and ruled in favour of stepping down the Senate-sponsored bill after lawmakers insisted that further action should be suspended until the Senate shows commitment to reciprocate.

But Akpabio revealed on Tuesday that six bills from the House have already been passed by the Senate, with four more under consideration, adding that the Red Chamber respects the legislative output of the lower house.

“We take you seriously. You are doing a remarkable job. The Senate will dedicate the next two weeks to addressing all outstanding House bills to ensure more can be transmitted in the interest of Nigerians,” he assured.

The Senate President commended the idea of the Legislative Open Week, describing it as a vital platform for citizens to understand the responsibilities of lawmakers and engage constructively with Parliament.

He also expressed concerns over the conduct of some legislators, particularly regarding authorised travels.

He said: “Many Nigerians mistakenly believe that lawmakers are responsible for building roads or offering jobs. The truth is, our core duties are representation, oversight, and lawmaking.

“Some members travel indiscriminately without informing the Presiding Officers. That’s against parliamentary procedure. When you do that, you’re technically AWOL. What if something happens where you are going, and we don’t know your whereabouts?” he asked.