By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) — Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving a substantial salary increase for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing the move as a major morale booster that will strengthen the country’s fight against insecurity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lawan said the new salary structure, which provides increases ranging from 30 to 80 per cent for military personnel across various ranks, reflects the President’s commitment to improving the welfare of the nation’s armed forces and rewarding their sacrifices in safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty.
He described the decision as “a masterstroke of compassionate and strategic leadership,” noting that the welfare of military personnel remains critical to maintaining a motivated and effective fighting force.
According to the former Senate President, the package is equitable and carefully structured, with junior personnel—including Privates, Lance Corporals, Corporals, Sergeants and Staff Sergeants—receiving an 80 per cent salary increase in recognition of the enormous risks they face in combat operations.
He noted that officers from the rank of Warrant Officer to Colonel will benefit from a 50 per cent increase, while senior officers up to the rank of General will receive a 30 per cent adjustment, describing the arrangement as a comprehensive recognition of every level of the military command structure.
Lawan observed that the implementation of the new salary structure, which takes effect from September 1, will raise the Armed Forces’ annual wage bill from ₦660 billion to ₦924 billion, representing an additional ₦264 billion investment in the country’s security sector.
He said the improved remuneration would positively impact the morale of about 250,000 military personnel by providing them with the psychological and financial support needed to confront the country’s complex security challenges.
While applauding the Federal Government’s commitment, the Senate Defence Committee Chairman challenged members of the Armed Forces to reciprocate the gesture through greater dedication, discipline and operational excellence.
“I urge the Nigerian Armed Forces to respond to this gesture with intensified rededication and commitment to operational efficiency,” he said.
Lawan also stressed the need for stronger collaboration among the nation’s security agencies, insisting that modern security threats require seamless coordination rather than isolated operations.
He called on the Army, Navy and Air Force to deepen joint operations, intelligence sharing and strategic cooperation, saying the era of inter-service rivalry and operational compartmentalisation must give way to a unified security approach.
“The complex nature of today’s threats demands that we do not just fight as individual services, but as one unified, lethal and professional force,” he stated.
He expressed optimism that the enhanced welfare package would serve as a catalyst for a more coordinated offensive against criminal elements and insurgents, leading to the restoration of peace across troubled parts of the country.
Lawan further assured that the Senate Committee on Defence would continue to support the Armed Forces through adequate legislative backing and robust security appropriations to ensure they have the resources required to defeat threats to national security.
He concluded by thanking President Tinubu for recognising the sacrifices of Nigeria’s military personnel, describing the salary increase as a well-deserved investment in those who risk their lives daily to defend the nation.
By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has issued a strong warning that Nigeria must urgently embrace innovative and multi-dimensional intelligence strategies to counter a rapidly evolving wave of security threats, including terrorism, cyber-attacks and transnational organised crime.
Lawan delivered the message on Monday in Abuja while representing the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, as Special Guest of Honour at the opening of the Chief of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference 2025, scheduled to run from November 24 to 28.
Declaring the conference open, the Senator emphasised the critical relevance of the theme, “The Role of Multi-Source Intelligence Innovation in National Security,” stressing that modern security challenges demand advanced, integrated and technology-driven intelligence systems.
Lawan, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Defence, said Nigeria must draw from multiple intelligence sources to generate actionable insights capable of shaping effective national defence responses.
“The complexities of today’s security landscape have made it imperative for intelligence agencies to adopt innovative approaches to safeguard Nigeria’s national interests,” he said.
“This conference provides a strategic opportunity to examine how multi-source intelligence can enhance situational awareness, strengthen early warning systems and support evidence-based decision-making.”
He tasked participants to explore how emerging technologies, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and data analytics, can boost Nigeria’s intelligence architecture, lauding the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for ongoing improvements in data integration and inter-agency synergy.
Lawan also applauded the conference’s unique format, which features combined presentations from Defence Advisers/Attachés and Coordinators of State Offices, describing it as a model for the whole-of-government approach needed to confront sophisticated threats.
He noted that the Defence Attachés System plays a crucial role in defence diplomacy, while State Office Coordinators form the backbone of ground-level intelligence gathering across the country.
Calling for deeper cooperation, the former Senate President urged Defence Advisers to strengthen bilateral and multilateral intelligence partnerships, and encouraged State Office Coordinators to intensify collaboration with local security agencies to ensure seamless intelligence fusion.
He commended the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, for his leadership and vision in convening the conference, and praised Defence Attachés and State Office Coordinators for their dedication to protecting Nigeria’s security interests at home and abroad.
Lawan expressed confidence that the outcomes of the five-day conference would further strengthen Nigeria’s security frameworks and enhance national and regional resilience.
By Ken Harries
It is often said, “There is no morality in politics”. In other words, in politics, anything goes. Unfortunately, many people who have found themselves in positions of authority have adopted this line of thought, thereby desecrating the sacredness of leadership, because it is ordained by God. But to the President of the tenth Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, “Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day.” These are the words of the revered gospeller, refined politician and leader, Jesse Jackson.
At the celebration of Democracy Day on June 12, 2025, the 8th Assembly President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, made a rare commendation to the leadership of the 10th Senate led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, GCON. Saraki, in a paper titled “The National Assembly and Nigeria’s Democracy in the Last 26 Years”, thanked Akpabio for restoring his portrait in the Senate Gallery after four years of its absence.
We are all aware of the no love lost that existed between Saraki and his successor, Senator Ahmad Lawan, whom he outsmarted in 2015 to emerge as the Senate President against the wishes of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the time. Consequently, the Saraki-led National Assembly maintained a cat and dog relationship throughout its tenure with the Executive led by then President Muhammadu Buhari.
Hence, when Senator Lawan eventually became the Senate President during the 9th Assembly, the no love lost between him and Senator Lawan was reignited. Senator Saraki had then been swept off the National Assembly courtesy of the “Otoge Revolution” in the Kwara politics, which was hitherto controlled by the Saraki dynasty. At this time, the APC had put its house in order and had a smooth sail on electing its principal officers, while the likes of Saraki, who had defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost their return bid to the Senate.
One of the actions taken by the Lawan’s leadership was to take down Saraki’s official portrait, where other Senate Presidents’ portraits are mounted at the Gallery of the Senate at the National Assembly, possibly to revenge the ‘injustice’ Saraki and his group meted out to him. Throughout the four years of Lawan’s Senate Presidency, Saraki’s portrait was missing in the gallery.
But one man known for institutional integrity and playing “politics without bitterness” changed the narrative, which got Senator Saraki celebrating and, for once, acknowledging the eclectic and transformational leadership of the uncommon Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio. Apart from commending his ‘good friend’ Senator Akpabio for having his portrait remounted among his colleagues, he appreciated the 10th National Assembly, led by Akpabio, for its courage in inviting him to present a paper at the joint session of the National Assembly.
According to Saraki, “If it were in another time, they would have been looking at the body language of the President, and my invite would have gotten missing. Just like my portrait”
The former Senate President noted that “Just as my portrait was missing for four years in the Senate Gallery created for all former presiding officers, it was brought in just recently,” Saraki said. “I thank my good friend, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for that.”
But certainly, that is not the character of Senator Akpabio’s leadership. He is an inspirational, inclusive, rational, humane, and compassionate leader. And like a former US President, John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, so more and become more, you are a leader”. Senator Godswill Akpabio is truly a leader because he exudes all these qualities.
By restoring Senator Saraki’s portrait and even going ahead to invite him as part of those to make presentations at the Democracy Day celebration is indicative of the fact that Senate President Akpabio is receptive to criticism and tolerant of opposition, no matter how vitriolic it may be. He does not believe in taking a pound of flesh when the opportunity presents itself, nor does he use his exalted position to pay opponents in their coin.
In the wake of the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate, Senator Saraki, despite being a former Senate President, never spared Senate President Akpabio any benefit of the doubt but joined in the fray, convicting and condemning Akpabio without trial. But Akpabio, a man imbued with institutional integrity and respect for individual right of opinion, never allowed this to becloud his sense of judgement in relating with those who stood the law on its head in casting aspersions on him.
Senate President Akpabio is like Mahatma Gandhi, who said, ” I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles, but today it means getting along with people”. He is the most gregarious leader we have around today. He knows how to enliven any environment or opportunity he finds himself in. He relates excellently with whoever comes his way. A detribalised and non-sectional leader, Akpabio’s doors are open to human beings of all shades; he does not discriminate, just like he shares with all and sundry.
Today, he has redefined leadership in the parliament, engaging the executive objectively and purposefully without bickering or fighting; representing the people through implementable laws that are development-promoting and smacked of human kindness and compassion. This is the spirit of a leader whose primary concern is to bring smiles to the faces of the common and not pains or sadness.
Mr Ken Harries is a US based development communication strategist
By Our Reporter
YOBE (PRECISE POST) — The office of Senator Ahmad Lawan has strongly refuted a recent report by Sahara Reporters alleging the senator’s involvement in the arrest of Ishe’u Ibrahim Jadda, a constituent who reportedly criticized the Gashua Water Supply Project.
In a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Dr. Ezrel Tabiowo, released on his Facebook page on Saturday, Senator Lawan described the publication as “reckless and false,” labeling it a deliberate attempt to malign the reputation of a lawmaker known for his commitment to democratic values and the rule of law.
The statement emphasized that Senator Lawan, who served as President of the 9th Senate, has never used his influence to suppress dissent or intimidate citizens. It highlighted his track record of championing free expression and transparency, even in the face of criticism during his time in opposition and leadership.
“The suggestion that a man of Senator Lawan’s democratic pedigree would orchestrate the arrest of a citizen for voicing concerns is not only absurd, but a direct affront to his legacy of principled service,” the statement read.
Addressing the Gashua Water Supply Project, the senator’s office noted that the initiative was a response to a dire health crisis in the region, with Gashua recording some of the highest rates of kidney disease due to water contamination. The project was recently completed and handed over to the Yobe State Government.
The senator’s office categorically denied any link to Jadda’s arrest and challenged Sahara Reporters to provide credible evidence supporting their claim. Absent such proof, the report should be viewed as “a sensational fabrication,” the statement asserted.
Calling on the media to uphold journalistic integrity, the statement urged outlets to verify their claims before publication and avoid undermining public trust.
Senator Lawan, representing Yobe North Senatorial District, reaffirmed his commitment to public service and impactful representation, saying he remains undeterred by what his office described as baseless distractions.
