‘Money For Holiday’: We Only Received Statutory Allowances Nothing Else – FCT Senator Kingibe

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, Ireti Kingibe, has denied receiving extra money from the management of the National Assembly contrary to the announcement made by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Ireti, who’s a first timer in the Senate on the platform of the Labour Party, also denied receiving the prayer Akpabio had announced further adding a layer of deceit to Akpabio’s attempted volte face.

Recall Akpabio on the last day of the Senate extraordinary sitting for screening and confirmation of ministerial nominees announced that the Clerk of the National Assembly, Magaji Tambuwal, had sent money into the respective accounts of senators to enable them “enjoy” their holidays.

The public meltdown was followed by expressions of shock and denial by the senators present on the floor, who immediately leapt into pushing Akpabio to rephrase.

Realising he had exposed years of public distrust on how federal lawmakers allocate huge resources including jumbo allowances to themselves at the detriment of the public, he attempted to rephrase that prayers had been sent to their individual emails.

“I withdraw that statement,” Akpabio had staged a retreat.

He added; “In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the senate president has sent prayers to your mail boxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return.”

The issue which became the number one trending topic on micro logging platform X, formerly called Twitter has unsettled the upper house even as no official rebuttal has been issued.

But Ireti offered an explanation that Akpabio was probably referring to “statutory” allowances.

“I did not receive any prayer but I will check my emails for the prayers.

“Truthfully, I don’t know what he was talking about,” she said of the prayer which further opened up Akpabio for more criticism.

She stressed that, “Most people assumed 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.”