In a season of hanger (hunger and anger), humour could become a slippery anecdote – and worse – out rightly backfire. This is especially so when it plays out in an environment many have rightly or wrongly grown to distrust.
The foregoing scenario largely captures the essence of what transpired at the Senate on Monday, August 7, when Senate President Godswill Akpabio off-handedly spoke about a token being paid into the accounts of his peers to aid a pleasant recess. It could be recalled that the Red Chamber, on Monday, August 7, concluded the screening and confirmation of 45 out of 48 on the list of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees and thereafter adjourned the plenary to September 26.
Addressing his colleagues before the adjournment motion was moved, Akpabio said a token had been sent by the Clerk of the National Assembly Magaji Tambuwal to the senators to enjoy their holidays
Hear him: “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.” He spoke while proceedings were being live-streamed on television.
When the senate president was immediately informed by his colleagues that he was speaking on live television, he withdrew the statement and rephrased it: “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.”
Following this drama, for want of a better label, several CSOs, individuals and media segments have leaped onto the bandwagon of condemnation. A certain CSO even threatened to sue the Senate President. But what really is the context and substance of the ‘offence’?
Some argue that the ‘holiday’ allowance Senator Akpabio said was paid to lawmakers is unknown to the law. They hold that the remuneration package approved for lawmakers by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMARC) has no ‘holiday’ allowance or token provision. But they conveniently forget that federal lawmakers are entitled to recess allowance under the law, which is 10 percent of the annual basic salary of each legislator, and is paid once a year. The Senate President Akpabio may as well have, in his comment, referred to that ‘recess allowance’ as “holiday allowance”. This is pure semantics at play.
According to Senator Ireti Kingibe of the Labour Party, reacting to the needless controversy trailing Senator Akpabio’s words: “Most people assume that our allowances are being paid; some statutory things that we are paid. I don’t think it was anything extra that we’re supposed to be given. I certainly haven’t seen anything extra.”
On his part, Senator Shehu Sani jocularly observed that vacation allowance disbursements are indeed carried out in a discreet manner, adding that “Crediting the Legislators’ accounts is done under the mute button, the Uncommon Senate President mistakenly pressed the alarm.”
Both reactions underscore the fact that Senate President Akpabio did not really commit a heinous breach but simply unwittingly allowed his natural candour cross the unwritten legislature’s line. A harmless indiscretion.
Certainly not a rookie, both in the executive governance, legal and legislative spheres, Senate President Akpabio has often been misread possibly on account of his accommodating and unassuming disposition. His withdrawal and rephrasing the initial message betrays sensitivity attuned to the feelings of his peers in the red chamber.
It’s perhaps easy to distill the anger in some quarters over the senate president’s statement. Lawmakers have unwittingly evolved a quirky reputation for drawing illegal allowances from public funds and allegedly padding annual budgets to enrich themselves illegally. And worse, the latest drama at the senate comes amid nationwide economic hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
Many insist that the public deserves a clearer understanding of how their elected representatives are compensated, particularly when it involves taxpayer funds. This is a legitimate quest.
Just last week, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and other affiliate unions, held a nationwide protest against the removal of fuel subsidy and the attendant economic hardship in Nigeria. It took some astute engagement by the current administration for them to sheath the swords.
But as it were, an unseemly feeding frenzy in some sections of the news media, especially online outlets, within the week trailed his message of ‘holiday token’ being sent to senators.
The Nigerian Senate adjourned it’s plenary on Monday, till September 26th, 2023, proceeding on a two-month annual recess. This came on the heels of unveiling of the names of chairmen and vice-chairmen of major committees by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. The annual recess of doesn’t imply that the National Assembly has been shut down. NASS is simply on break.
But members of both chambers the Senate and the House of Representatives will be on daily basis busy doing their legislatives duties, given that the legislature’s work does not start and end with the plenary sessions. Like all legislatures the world over, the bulk of their work are done at the committee level.
No less a child of providence, in terms of political experience, capacity and courage Senate President Akpabio has firmly established himself. He is certainly not a politician who craves crude acquisition of raw power for the sake of power. Senator Akpabio’s bold visions are anchored on consistent principles which have come to define his life story.
As it were, only tested trailblazers with vision, knowledge and courage in this age of disruption can provide the imperative cutting-edge leadership to ensure both stability and progression. And this is Senator Akpabio’s forte.
As it were, a powerful vision draws in ideas, people and other resources. It creates the momentum and will to make change happen. It inspires individuals, complementary democratic organizations, and institutions to commit, to persist, and to give their best. Leveraging these positives, Senator Akpabio has also deployed impeccable professionalism, discipline, and persistence to change the traditional narrative of subnational governance and in the national space as federal legislator and head of critical agencies previously.
Senator Akpabio clearly did not goof and should not be unfairly mischaracterized. He firmly rejects staying tamely at the end of received policy prescriptions. He covets knowledge-driven innovations, candid proactive engagement with stakeholders, policymakers, and sure-footed action. These dimensions have been boldly mirrored in his leadership of all the professional and political responsibilities he has been entrusted with thus far.
Is he then a candidate for sainthood awaiting Vatican’s validation? Certainly not; the uncommon Senate President of course has his off-moments. He clearly aims to enjoy his holidays as well as recommit to reinventing the Nigerian story.
