Connect with us

News

Senate passes 2023 budget in record time

Published

on

Senators during plenary in the red chamber

The Senate again made history on Wednesday when it passed, in record time and for the fourth time, the 2023 national budget of about N21.8 trillion.

Advertisements

The Upper chamber also passed a supplementary budget of about N819.5 Billion for 2022 and Finance Bill 2022.

Advertisements

The Senate, on the request of the Executive, approved an extension of the expiration clause of both the 2022 Appropriation Act and the Supplementary Budget to 31st March, 2023 in order to allow full capital releases as contained in the two Appropriations.

The Senate Leader, Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir explained that: “In view of critical importance of some key projects nearing completion, it is expected to grant the extension of the expiration clause to avoid compounding the problems of abandoned projects, given that some of the projects were not provided for in the 2023 budget.”

In his remarks after the passage of the budget and other businesses slated for the special sitting, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan congratulated the Senators and the National Assembly in general for keeping to the promise made with respect to the budget cycle.

Lawan told his Distinguished colleagues: “Congratulations to this senate, and let me commend all of us in the ninth Senate for promising and delivering on our promise.

“From 2019, we promised to reverse the undesirable budget circle of where we wouldn’t know, to what is known, January To December.

“This is our fourth budget and our last before the expiration of our tenure. The annual budget, and we have kept to that promise.

“I want to take this opportunity to urge the executive arm of government to implement the 2022 appropriation Act. We have also passed the Supplementary Budget for 2022.

“We expect total implementation. No selective implementation. It should be total because this has been what this administration has always tried to do since we came in 2019, and therefore, the country and the people are better for it that the budgets are implemented.

“Let me also commend the senate and indeed the National Assembly for the innovation, together with the executive arm of government, of passing Finance Bill which always guide the implementation of the appropriations that we pass.

“Previously, that was not the practice. I’m sure this is a worthwhile, very rewarding practice and it will continue.

“We have stood down the consideration of the Ways and Means Restructure. We did so as a Senate, as a body, because we didn’t get the kind of information that we consider necessary as important for us to take a major decision as this, without any let or hindrance.

“We have set up a special committee headed by the Senate Leader and in the membership, you have the committees of Finance, Appropriation, Foreign and Local Debts and Banking to collect all the necessary information.

“And I want to use this opportunity to urge the executive arm of government, especially those agencies that will be invited to appear before this special committee, to cooperate by bringing the right kind of information that we need to be guided properly.”

The Senate has adjourned to 17th January, 2023.

Advertisements

News

Senators Natasha, Abbo unite in peddling dangerous falsehood against me – Akpabio

Published

on

Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio has accused Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Elisha Abbo of being united I coordinated attacks against him lately.

Advertisements

He stated this following Natasha’s claims during a rally in her Kogi Central Senatorial District that he recruited the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello to assassinate her outside Abuja.

Advertisements

At the rally on Tuesday 1st April, 2025 which was monitored by CAPITAL POST in Lokoja, Natasha accused the former Governor Yahaya Bello, having been contacted late in the night of March 12, 2025 to orchestrated ‘recall and assassination’ of her outside Abuja.

Natasha said she has intelligence reports that when she is killed in her Constituency, “it will look as if it’s her people that killed her.”

Though Bello was yet to issue a statement debunking the allgations or otherwise, Senate President on his part denied the allegation and described it as falsehood and inflammatory.

Reacting in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publici, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh on Friday, Akpabio accused former Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial, Elisha Abbo of toeing the similar part of blackmail, saying barely 24 hours later, on April 2, 2025, Elisha Abbo appeared on Arise Television to revive a previously withdrawn claim that Senator Akpabio “manipulated the judiciary” to secure his removal from the Senate.

The statement said: “Nigerians will recall that Mr. Abbo, in 2023, publicly retracted this same accusation and tendered an apology after acknowledging that his claims were founded on incorrect assumptions.

“His removal from office was the outcome of a constitutionally grounded judicial decision by the Court of Appeal, which independently determined that he was not duly elected to represent Adamawa North.

“In a further twist, Mr. Abbo also alleged that he was denied his entitlements by the Senate President. This, too, is categorically false. Entitlements such as salaries and allowances are processed strictly through administrative and legal procedures.

“The Senate President does not and cannot unilaterally approve or deny such requests. Any delays or rejections would have been based solely on due diligence and compliance with established protocols.

“The timing, tone, and striking similarity of these coordinated attacks point clearly to a politically motivated smear campaign. These individuals—backed by undisclosed interests—appear united in a desperate effort to undermine the credibility of the Senate and its leadership and intended to distract from their own personal and political shortcomings and failings.

“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains undeterred. As a statesman devoted to national unity, institutional integrity, and the rule of law, he will not be distracted by malicious falsehoods or inflammatory rhetoric.

“Regardless of the necessity for legal redress, formal letters of demand, seeking immediate public retractions, apologies, and compensation for reputational harm, are underway to be served on both Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Mr Elisha Abbo.

“We call on the Nigerian public in particular and the International Community to reject these baseless and provocative narratives. The Senate, under Senator Akpabio’s leadership, remains focused on its constitutional mandate: to promote legislative excellence, safeguard democratic values, and deliver meaningful progress for the Nigerian people”, the statement concluded.

Advertisements
Continue Reading

News

Governor Ododo mourns death of Kogi East APC Chairman

Published

on

Late Suleiman Muhammed

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has expressed heartfelt sympathy over the demise of Hon. Suleiman Muhammed, the Kogi East Zonal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Advertisements

In a condolence message to the family of the deceased and members of the APC in Kogi state, described the sudden passing of the APC Zonal chairman as a loss not only for the party in Kogi East but the entire APC family in the state.

Advertisements

According to the Governor “The late Hon. Suleiman Muhammed was a man of peace, humility, and one who demonstrated commitment to the service of the state and the APC as a party. He carried the aspirations of his people with dignity; his leadership was widely respected and his contributions deeply valued within and beyond the APC in Kogi East”.

“He was instrumental in strengthening party cohesion and promoting inclusive dialogue. His presence in every party engagement brought stability and thoughtful leadership to our consultations in the zone.”

Governor Ododo further noted that Hon. Suleiman’s calm temperament, sense of fairness, and ability to listen distinguished him as a unifying figure in the party.

The Governor also extends condolences to the family of the deceased, the leadership and members of the APC in the state, the people of Dekina local government area and the entire Kogi East Senatorial District.

He prayed that Almighty Allah (SWT) forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljanatul Firdaus.

The late APC zonal chairman who served as the APC coordinator in Odu Ward 2 before becoming the zonal chairman of the party in Kogi East died at the age of 45 and has been laid to rest according to Islamic rites.

Advertisements
Continue Reading

News

Assassination Plot: Natasha’s manipulative theatrics to whip public sentiments worrisome – Akpabio

Published

on

President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio has accused the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of manipulative theatrics on the sensibilities of the Nigerian public to whip sentiments.

Advertisements

He said his attention has been drawn to claims by the embattled lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District that he recruited the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello to plot her assassination outside Abuja.

Advertisements

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Senate President, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh and made available to CAPITAL POST on Friday in Abuja, Akpabio described Natasha’s claims as inflammatory and highly condemnation.

Denying the accusation, Akpabio noted that the outrageous and false accusation in Natasha’s address to her constituents on Tuesday 1st April, 2025 was meant to malign him lately.

Part of the statement read: “The Office of the President of the Senate strongly condemns the recent baseless, false and inflammatory accusation made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in which she falsely alleged that the Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was involved in a plot to assassinate her.

“While speaking in Kogi State on April 1, 2025, the suspended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan recklessly and maliciously claimed that Senator Godswill Akpabio “recruited” former Governor Yahaya Bello to “assassinate her in Kogi State rather than in Abuja.”

“This outrageous accusation is not only false but a complete fabrication and deeply irresponsible and dangerous attempt to provoke public unrest, attract media attention, and discredit the person and office of the President of the Senate for ulterior motives.

“It is important to remind the public that this same individual had previously made an unsubstantiated accusation of sexual harassment against Senator Akpabio—a claim she seem to have abandoned without explanation.

“Having failed to gain traction with that narrative, she has now escalated her campaign of misinformation to a deadly and defamatory dimension. 

Akpabio further explained how Natasha had engaged in this troubling pattern in years past, hence, attention of Nigerians have been drawn to such filthy games that shouldn’t be taken seriously.

“This pattern of deliberate falsehoods and manipulative theatrics reveals a troubling willingness to exploit public sensitivities through recurring victimhood narratives.

“It is a matter of public record that she has previously made assassination allegations against former Governor Yaya Bello and others in 2019 and 2023, along with multiple unsubstantiated claims of sexual harassment against other dignitaries.

“Her recurring persecution narrative and evident lying complex should not be weaponized to malign individuals or destroy hard-earned reputations.

Interestingly, this latest reckless allegation is not occurring in isolation”, he concluded.

Advertisements
Continue Reading

Trending


Address: 1st Floor, Nwakpabi Plaza, Suite 110, Waziri Ibrahim Crescent, Apo, Abuja
Tel: +234 7036084449; +234 7012711701
Email: capitalpost20@gmail.com | info@capitalpost.ng
Copyright © 2025 Capital Post