Keyamo’s Remorse As Akpabio Emerges National Prayer Warrior   

Senator Ireti Kingibe, the Labour Party senator for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT was in a very difficult position on national television last Wednesday as news of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s holiday prayers cum money package for senator gained traction.

The drama started last Monday night as the Senate rounded up the process of OBSERVING and praise-singing President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, a process officially dubbed as screening. Senator Akpabio apparently not knowing that his microphone was on 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.”

When he was made to realise his slip, Akpabio quickly retorted that he was withdrawing the statement, saying rather that he had disbursed “prayers” to their “mailboxes”.

So when Senator Kingibe appeared on the Channels Television programme and was asked if she had received the money, the lady said she had not received anything outside her entitlements.

“No, actually, I didn’t receive any prayers, but I’ll check my email for the prayers,” the Labour Party member said humorously.

Acknowledging that “most people” assumed allowances might have been paid to the lawmakers, she explained that such payments might be “statutory things that we would have been paid anyway”.

Earlier that Wednesday, a senator who confirmed that he received the Akpabio package was filled with rage as he disclosed that the package was a mere N2m.

Now as Senator Kingibe said if the payment was a statutory payment must senators be crucified for what is simply their entitlement.

Given the alleged proclivity to money by our lawmakers, the fact that what was given to senators for holiday was N2m must be shocking for anyone accustomed to the opulence that our lawmakers are accustomed to.

Money From Akpabio As Answered Prayers?

Now, this money was legit given that the debit alert showed it came from official account of the National Assembly.

It was not the kind of under the table deal that we normally hear of in which vested interests, parastatals and such would produce money for sharing to the lawmakers or committee members.

Given the unfortunate turn of events in the country with difficulties here and there arising from the official policies of government it is understandable that many people will be aghast that our senators will be sharing N218m for holiday.

Of course, much of the holiday will be spent abroad given the well-known fact that it is cheaper for senators to spend their time abroad than in their constituencies where they will be regular objects of solicitation from constituents.

However, the problem with the N2m largesse given to the senators for holidays is that the Senate President sought to recoil after it was brought to his knowledge that he had announced the sharing to the public. Akpabio must learn not to bring himself into the matter of sharing money, he should leave it to the management. Or as someone said on Friday, Akpabio a veteran of ‘off your mike dramas’ in the National Assembly should learn when to keep quiet.

The Senate President has to learn that money is the easiest cause of rebellion in the Senate and that many senators are already indignant that he has brought them to public ridicule because of what some have said is “ordinary N2m.”

He has to watch his tongue and control his normal exuberance because he is not an executive Senate President but merely only first among equals.

Keyamo’s Remorse As Answered Prayers For Akpabio’s Senate

Meanwhile, the unreserved apology tendered by Mr Festus Keyamo last Monday after the Senate initially turned him back from ministerial screening is bound to boost the confidence of the lawmaking body.

Watching video clips of Keyamo three years ago huffing and puffing against the lawmakers and seeing a more reticent Keyamo last Monday saying “I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry,” is one that must have captivated chroniclers of the powers of the Senate.

Keyamo and the Senate Committee on Labour fell out in June 2020 after the minister accused the National Assembly of trying to hijack the job scheme that the Muhammadu Buhari government had conceived to give employment to 774,000 persons across the country.

The lawmakers had at that time claimed that being the ones on ground, that they were best positioned to share the jobs. However, Keyamo publicly fought them off. It now emerged during last Monday’s screening that Keyamo actually made up with the lawmakers after the public fight.

It also emerged that despite the hullaballoo that the lawmakers may have actually benefited from the job scheme.

When they made up as Keyamo claimed, and as the lawmakers did not dispute, no one really knows.  

So when we point out that the N2m officially disbursed to the Senators for holiday may be small as nearly all of them are claiming, the major concern is the settlement that the lawmakers reach with government officials outside the chambers.

Just as the National Assembly Committee on Labour settled with Keyamo in secret in 2020, many of the lawmakers are also settling with the parastatals in secret. That is where the corruption is.

And except measures are made to open government in all fronts to public scrutiny the issue of corruption or of Akpabio turning into a prayer warrior will remain with us.

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