‘Safe Holiday Allowance’: Akpabio, Senators Under Fire As SERAP Threatens Court Action

The  has threatened to take legal action against Senate President Godswill Akpabio for exhibiting a sickening level of profligacy at a time most Nigerians are groaning under the excruciating pains engendered by the economic reforms of the Tinubu Administration.

Specifically, SERAP swore to go to court over the alleged payment of “holiday allowances” to senators.

SERAP said: “We’re suing the Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the alleged payment of “holiday allowances” by the Clerk of the National Assembly into the “various accounts” of senators while some 137 million poor Nigerians face severe economic hardship.”

The impending lawsuit was triggered by what happened during a plenary session on Wednesday when Akpabio, during a public address to his colleagues, announced the disbursement of “holiday allowances” by the clerk of the National Assembly into the bank accounts of various senators.

While making the announcement, Akpabio had totally forgotten that the session was being covered live by major national television networks. In the spirit of the moment, he told his colleagues that an undisclosed sum, a monetary token, had been paid into their accounts to enable the senators enjoy their holidays.

“As soon as Senator Umahi takes his oath of office, we shall rearrange the office of the leadership,” Akpabio began. “To enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk of the National Assembly.”

Akpabio had apparently forgotten that he was being beamed live to Nigerians.

However, the Senate President made a quick volte face, a rapid U-Turn, when his fellow senators told him that they were on live television. He recapitulated and withdrew his statement, saying rather sarcastically that the referenced funds were actually paid to the senators to help them enjoy a good vacation.

“In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the Senate President has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return,” he rephrased.

However, Nigerians were not impressed by Akpabio’s sarcasm with many of them describing the action of the senators as repugnant and grossly insensitive to the plight of the masses who they purport to represent.

Not a few critics faulted the wisdom behind the alleged holiday or ‘prayer’ allowances reportedly to the senators, raising questions about its propriety and appropriateness at a time when majority of Nigerians are forced to endure bone-crushing economic hardship now prevalent in the land.

The critics put a huge question mark on the transparency and appropriateness of such financial transactions within the legislative system.

In a tweet apparently suggesting a divine hand in exposing the under-the-table deal by Akpabio and his colleagues, Shehu Sani, a former Senator said: “Crediting the Legislators accounts are done under mute button,the Uncommon Senate President mistakenly pressed the alarm.”

Neither the Office of the Senate President, nor the Senate, is yet to issue a statement on the development as at the time of filing this report.