Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has revealed that it will sue the president of the Nigerian Senate Godswill Akpabio over the alleged payment of holiday allowances to Senators.
Making this disclosure in a tweet via its official Twitter handle, the rights group suggested that it was wrong to pay holiday allowances to the lawmakers while about 137 million Nigerians were facing economic hardships.
“BREAKING: We’re suing the Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the alleged payments 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,” tweet by SERAP read.
Recall that Mr Akpabio who currently serves as the president of the Nigerian Senate had during the last proceeding of the Assembly disclosed that the clerk of the National Assembly had sent a token to the account of the lawmakers to enable them to enjoy their recess however, Mr Akpabio withdrew his statement on realizing that the proceeding of the Nigerian Senate was being streamed on national TV.
“In order 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 told the lawmakers.
Later, he retracted his comment and said that the purported payment was simply “prayers” delivered to the lawmakers’ “mailboxes”.
His comments had drawn wide criticism from the Nigerian masses that are currently feeling the harsh impact of the recent removal of fuel subsidy.
News About Nigeria recalls that President Bola Tinubu had earlier pleaded with Nigerians to bear the brunt of the removal of fuel subsidy. However, the newest gaffe by the President of the Nigerian Senate has enraged Nigerians who have continued to suffer from the high cost of goods caused by the recent elimination of gasoline subsidies.
