By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Human rights activist Comrade Shehu Sani has reacted to the ‘crediting of senator account remarks’ by the president of the 10th Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, saying that the uncommon Senate President mistakenly pressed the alarm button.
Shehu Sani who was a former lawmaker that represented Kaduna Central senatorial district in the 8th Senate, who is familiar with some of the secret ways certain things are done in the two chambers, hinted that crediting of legislators accounts are done under mute button.
He gave the clue via his verified twitter handle @ShehuSani saying: “Crediting the Legislators accounts are done under mute button, the Uncommon Senate President mistakenly pressed the alarm.”
Sundiata Post recalls that Akpabio had towards the end of plenary on Monday night, after completing the screening and confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, announced openly to his colleagues that the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Magaji Tambuwal, had credited a token into their individual bank accounts in order to enjoy their annual holiday.
This open announcement generated noisy interruptions from Senators who were apparently dissatisfied with Akpabio’s public disclosure for fear of a backlash.
However, true to the expectations of the lawmakers, Nigerians have been reacting to this comment with some calling for the resignation of the Senate President for such insensitive disclosure at a time when most Nigerians can barely afford transport fare to office.
Rights Activist and self-proclaimed defender of democracy, Comrade Timi Frank, has berated Akpabio over his revelation.
Speaking via a video recording, Frank described Akpabio’s revelation on a live national TV as a “show of shame” and a mockery of democracy and Nigerians, even as he called on the Senate President to resign his position immediately.
He said it was insensitive for the federal lawmakers to enjoy national resources in the name of holidaying at a time Nigerians were facing hardships and other economic challenges.
The development forced the Senate President to pause a bit and thereafter withdraw the statement for the record and rephrased the same information.
“In order to enjoy your holidays, the Senate President has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return,” Akpabio said in the alternative to calm down frayed nerves.
Recall that Senate had adjourned plenary on Monday till September 26, 2023, in order to observe its annual recess.
Frank, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to act now and end Akpabio’s leadership of the Senate and its attendant ‘national embarrassment’ by telling him to resign immediately.
“The show of shame that was demonstrated today (Monday) on a live national television where the Senate under Akpabio was telling the whole world and Nigerians that they are going on vacation, and the Clerk of the National Assembly has paid money to every account of the Nigerian Senators.
“This is the biggest joke we’ve seen in recent times, and that is the main reason why I’m making it bold and very clear that Senator God’swill Akpabio must immediately resign as the Senate President. He cannot continue to make mockery of our democracy and make mockery of Nigerians.
“This is the same man who made mockery of the poor, and made it very clear in the Senate chamber by saying ‘Let the poor breathe’. Meanwhile, he was laughing because he knew they will definitely never allow the poor to breathe, they’ll continue to suffocate the poor and that is what he demonstrated today (Monday) on a live TV by sharing the resources that belongs to the poor to their personal accounts.
“Akpabio has shown that since the inception of the Nigerian Senate, this is the most corrupt Senate President ever Nigerians have witnessed.
“Nigerians have suffered too much in recent times. We did not vote our Senators to come and take money from the poor to go on vacation,” Frank stated.
Frank, therefore, called on members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to cut off all communications with the federal government until their demands were met.
“So therefore, I use this opportunity to call on the Nigerian Labour Congress to seize every discussion and communication with the federal government until the salary of Nigerian workers must be increased.
“Nigerians can no longer bear this. This Nollywood has to end, and the time to end this Nollywood is now. So, I appeal to Nigerians to prepare for a total shutdown until Akpabio resigns as the Senate President of Nigeria,” he added.
