Abdul Ningi, a senator representing Bauchi Central senatorial district, have disclosed how much lawmakers got as a recess ‘token’.
According to Ningi, some lawmakers have gotten N2 million as recess allowance. However, he claimed not to have received his own.
Recall that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio in a recent video was heard telling the Senator that a ‘token’ had been sent to them to enjoy their recess.
Akpabio 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.”
The statement of the Senate President which he later withdrew has generated heat online.
Senator Ningi speaking on the development days after Akpabio’s statement confirmed that some lawmakers have gotten an allowance as earlier hinted.
Speaking with Channels TV, he said, “Nothing has come to my account yet. I heard that some people got N2m but for me, nothing yet. Hopefully [I would get], when they tidy up things.”
He, however, faulted Senator Akpabio’s comment, describing it as unprecedented.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain added, “Some of these things if they happen, you don’t broadcast it the way he did.
“I think it is a huge embarrassment to the Senate President as a person and to the institution of the National Assembly. The Senate President should have gone further to say what the allowances are for. How did he come about the allowances? Who gave the allowances? Is it part of the remuneration?”
Senator Ningi noted that Nigerians are not pleased with the comment and he finds it difficult to take just like many Nigerians.
He said, “I don’t know what N2m would do for a holiday. I find it very difficult to understand what this money is for.”
According to him, when the senators return to work, they need to know what the money is for since the lawmakers do not get recess allowance.
