During an interview with BBC Hausa, Ali Ndume, the Senate Chief Whip, clarified that the ‘holiday allowance’ disclosed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on live TV was simply their regular entitled leave grant, and not anything extraordinary.
Ndume emphasized that this practice is well-known, stating that employees are given such grants when going on leave.
He expressed disappointment in Akpabio for creating a misconception that senators were receiving unusually large sums of money.
He remarked that receiving a standard N2 million allowance as a senator is not a significant issue.
Ndume warned that if Akpabio continues with such statements, they are prepared to take serious action against him.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio had inadvertently revealed the ‘holiday allowance’ during a speech to his colleagues before their annual recess.
He mentioned that the Senate clerk had disbursed a token to enable lawmakers to enjoy their holidays.
Realizing his mistake on live TV, Akpabio retracted his statement.
However, his remarks ignited outrage among many Nigerians who criticized the lawmakers for seemingly disregarding the concerns of the citizens.
