The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is the focus of a lawsuit from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) over the alleged payment of “holiday allowances” to senators while they are on break by the Clerk of the National Assembly.
The scandalous plan to spend N40 billion on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officers, as well as N70 billion as consolation prizes for new members, prompted the advocacy group to threaten legal action against Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas.
This information is included in a tweet that SERAP published on Thursday, August 10, 2023, on its official Twitter account. This message appears to be consistent with the advocacy group’s campaign against the misappropriation of public monies and violations of basic human rights.
SERAP in its tweet post said, ‘’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.’’
The action puts additional pressure on the federal lawmakers over the enormous salary and allowances they are alleged to be receiving despite the severe hardship and difficult economic challenges that Nigerians are facing, even though the specifics of the proposed lawsuit and the specific charges remain largely unclear.
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Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, has drawn harsh criticism for accidentally disclosing that senators’ vacation pay had been deposited into their bank accounts ahead of their scheduled yearly break.
Prior to the Senate’s annual break, on Monday (August 11, 2023) Akpabio told his colleagues that money had been delivered to them so they may “enjoy” their vacation. He seemed unaware that the conversation was being recorded on live video.
The Senate President said: “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.”
Upon realising that he was speaking on live television, he quickly retracted, and said, “I withdraw that statement. 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.”
Akpabio’s error sparked debate across the country and prompted inquiries about the reliability and timing of such money transfers. Critics contend that such concessions appear unfair and uncaring at a time when a substantial percentage of the population of the country is struggling financially.
