It appears that there was some controversy surrounding statements made by Senator Godswill Akpabio regarding the distribution of benefits to senators before their holiday break. Initially, Akpabio mentioned that a token had been sent to senators’ various accounts, but later retracted his statement and referred to the distribution as “prayers” delivered to their mailboxes. This led to rumors and speculation about potential covert benefits being provided to the senators.
In response to these statements, Senator Ireti Kingibe, a representative from the FCT and a member of the Labour Party, addressed the issue during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today. She emphasized that she had not received any unusual allowances and jokingly mentioned that she would check her email for the “prayers” that Akpabio mentioned, expressing uncertainty about his allusions.
Kingibe acknowledged that there might be a perception among the public that politicians were receiving allowances, but she clarified that these payments could be regular statutory payments that they would have received regardless. She stated that she hadn’t noticed anything unusual in terms of additional benefits.
When questioned about the high cost of governance and senators’ salaries, Kingibe acknowledged that there might be limited actions she could take to change the situation. However, she shared her plans for utilizing any extra money she might receive. She mentioned having a constituency office and a development office where she carries out development programs for her constituents. She expressed her intention to allocate a significant portion of the additional funds to supporting these offices and the associated development activities.
Overall, the statements and responses from both Akpabio and Kingibe suggest a mix of confusion, speculation, and differing perspectives on the matter of benefits distribution and governance expenses.
