Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all pending defamation lawsuits, saying he was moved by a priest’s counsel during a New Year Mass.

This is contained in a statement by the Senate president’s media office in Abuja on Thursday.

Speaking on Thursday at Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine suits against individuals he accused of defaming him.

“I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.

“But I listened to the priest and realised he was talking to me, so I direct my solicitors to withdraw all lawsuits against them,” Akpabio said.

In his homily, the parish priest and Vicar-General, Very Reverend Father Donatus Udoette, urged worshippers to pursue peace and reconciliation.

“You have to let go of the past, no matter what it was. All of us carry pain and hurt, but letting go allows us to move on,” he said.

Akpabio’s decision formally ends all defamation-related legal disputes, signalling closure to the publicised cases at the beginning of the new year.

President of the Senate Ahmad Lawal says his 2023 presidential ambition was conceived to enable him change the lives of Nigerians for the better.
Lawal said this on Friday when he paid a courtesy call on Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River in Calabar as part of his political tour to meet with delegates of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The Senate President said that the welfare and security of Nigerians was top most priority on his agenda to change the fortunes of the country if given the presidential ticket.
Lawal said that if voted into office as president, he would re-define the economy of the country from the over dependency on oil and place premium on agriculture.
He said that Nigeria needs a personality that has the capacity, knowledge and experience needed to govern the country.
He observed that although the governor of Cross River was also running for the presidential race, it was important for them to work as brothers.
“I am running for the presidency of the country to help me change the lives of the people for good.
“As politicians, we are brothers and sisters; that the governor of Cross River is also running for the office of the president does not make us enemies.
“I wish to ask the governor of Cross River to give me the delegates from his state during the primaries,” he said.
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Responding, Ayade said that Lawal has been a great partner in the growth and development of the country.
He noted that the Senate President has the capacity to handle cases of Boko haram, banditry and the Niger Delta challenges.
“I am also going to work for you if you get the party’s ticket. You have always stood by us as a state,” he said.

President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, on Friday, underscored the need to have a budget reform that will include a law on timeliness in budget passing.

Lawan made the call at business meeting of the Institute of Directors’ Annual Conference in Abuja.

“We can reform our budget cycle, if there is a law on timeliness for budget passing,’’ he said.

Lawan, who spoke on “Reforming the Budget Cycle: A First Step in Our Journey to the Next Level” said timeliness and deadlines would give leaders focus and make for more definite on deliverables.

According to him, reports indicates that countries like the U.S., Canada, Austria, Brazil, France and India have more definite budget cycles through legislation.

“We have resolved to be reform minded in the ninth National Assembly and improving the budget cycle is one area of focus.

“Our attention will be on the areas where enhancements are needed and we are surely not going to look away from them in the interest of national growth, development and well being of our people,” Lawan said.

The senate president said it is also important to improve on database showing the social economic conditions of the country.

According to him, a database will be more helpful for the appreciation of financial projections, despite current efforts by National Bureau of Statistics and some multilateral agencies in showing sectoral performances of the economy.

He called for the amendment of the Public Procurement Act 2007,noting that the act has not provided the intended efficacy it should produce.

“Related to this is the need to match budget projections with fund release if accountability is to be appreciable.

“Proper documentation of financial activities and reduced political Interventions in the budgetary process are additionally important steps to follow.

“We should try to reduce frivolous items on the recurrent expenditure list to increase our disposition to produce, ensure judicious expenditure process and to guarantee value-for-money,” Lawan said.

Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan was born in 1959 and became a senator in 2007. He received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Maiduguri, a master’s degree in remote sensing from Ahmadu Bello University and a doctorate degree in remote sensing/GIS from Cranfield University, UK.

He was elected to the House of Representatives for the northern state of Yobe in 1999, at different times Lawan chaired the House Committees on education and agriculture. In 2008, he was a member of the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Review.

In 2009, as chairman of the Senate committee on Public Accounts, Lawan initiated and sponsored the Desertification Control Commission Bill. In August 2009, Senator Lawan spoke against the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam. He stated that the Tiga Dam and Challawa Gorge Dam had already reduced water flow drastically, and the Jama’are River was now the main source of water in the Yobe River. He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.

Lawan ran for re-election in Yobe North Senatorial District on the ANPP platform in the 9 April 2011 elections. He won with 92,799 votes, trailed by Hassan Kafayos Hussaini of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 76,960 votes.

After meeting with President Buhari on Thursday, June 6, 2019, Senator Danjuma Goje stepped down for Senator Lawan from the Senate Presidency race.Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan was born in 1959 and became a senator in 2007. He received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Maiduguri, a master’s degree in remote sensing from Ahmadu Bello University and a doctorate degree in remote sensing/GIS from Cranfield University, UK.

He was elected to the House of Representatives for the northern state of Yobe in 1999, at different times Lawan chaired the House Committees on education and agriculture. In 2008, he was a member of the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Review.

In 2009, as chairman of the Senate committee on Public Accounts, Lawan initiated and sponsored the Desertification Control Commission Bill. In August 2009, Senator Lawan spoke against the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam. He stated that the Tiga Dam and Challawa Gorge Dam had already reduced water flow drastically, and the Jama’are River was now the main source of water in the Yobe River. He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.

Lawan ran for re-election in Yobe North Senatorial District on the ANPP platform in the 9 April 2011 elections. He won with 92,799 votes, trailed by Hassan Kafayos Hussaini of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 76,960 votes.

After meeting with President Buhari on Thursday, June 6, 2019, Senator Danjuma Goje stepped down for Senator Lawan from the Senate Presidency race.Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan was born in 1959 and became a senator in 2007. He received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Maiduguri, a master’s degree in remote sensing from Ahmadu Bello University and a doctorate degree in remote sensing/GIS from Cranfield University, UK.

He was elected to the House of Representatives for the northern state of Yobe in 1999, at different times Lawan chaired the House Committees on education and agriculture. In 2008, he was a member of the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Review.

In 2009, as chairman of the Senate committee on Public Accounts, Lawan initiated and sponsored the Desertification Control Commission Bill. In August 2009, Senator Lawan spoke against the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam. He stated that the Tiga Dam and Challawa Gorge Dam had already reduced water flow drastically, and the Jama’are River was now the main source of water in the Yobe River. He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.

Lawan ran for re-election in Yobe North Senatorial District on the ANPP platform in the 9 April 2011 elections. He won with 92,799 votes, trailed by Hassan Kafayos Hussaini of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 76,960 votes.

After meeting with President Buhari on Thursday, June 6, 2019, Senator Danjuma Goje stepped down for Senator Lawan from the Senate Presidency race.