The Truth and Fuss behind Godswill Akpabio Token & Prayers speech

Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio

On Monday 7^th August 2023, the internet, and the social media world were awash with the pronouncements of Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, who sits as the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, where he said "In order to enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk to the National Assembly", he abruptly, withdraws the statement, and pronounced, "In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the Senate President has sent prayers to your mailboxes, to assist you to go on a safe journey and return”.

 

As Nigerians, we like to minor on the major, and vis-à-vis, if not, that statement should not have generated the fuss it brings along.

 

On the one part, it is a statutory duty for Senators to be paid allowance, just as civil servants get paid for leave allowance, and overtime allowance -although it has been canceled, in a bid to cut the cost of governance, a superb initiative of the dismissed Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun under the Buhari administration. On the other part, before we digress, when the word token was used, literally, it tells, it was just a little sum of money, it is then funny the way the media took it up! One can understand people just want to say something, if not the media will do its work to give credible information only, not just trending matters that needed not be trended.

 

We need to salute the wisdom of the Senate President, who understands the tone of the nation, by not completely reading the notice put forward to him. We may have to heap the load of blame, on the person who forwarded such notice to the chair. Looking at the proceedings of the day, the Clerk Senate wasn’t on the seat, therefore his deputy stand in for him, who happens to be a woman, we may have to admit, women are most times emotional with things, or want to play to the gallery. 

 

National Assembly

This whole thing is coming not too distant a period when the former Clerk Senate Ibrahim El-Ladan was to retire compulsorily due to age falsification and other related matters, and a new Clerk Senate was to be appointed, the body language of the then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan does not want a woman for the seat. Aside from his religious background, he might have foreseen this kind of thing happening if a woman occupies the seat. Albeit, a woman was appointed in an acting capacity, the politicking ended with a man assuming the seat, in the person of Mr. Chinedu Akabueze

 

The senators worked their butts up, they worked a straight week with no rest, save for tea break and moment for Islamic prayers, which were only 1PM, and 7PM. At a time, Distinguished Senator Yari had to plead for the Senate to adjourn plenary to another day, and the Senate President ruled in favor after the Leader of the Senate moved a motion for adjournment. Guess what? The Senate adjourned to Saturday, breaking a long time process of just three days in a week of legislative days, it is important to note that under the Ahmad Lawan administration, Senators only go to work two times a week, and smile to the bank at the end of the month, this was the practice after the Covid-19.

 Let the Senators breathe! Don't suffocate them!!

In saner climes, the actions of the Senate, and the grits of the Senators to expedite the ministerial screening will not only be applauded, but given special recognition for service to the nation and humanity, unlike the 2015 days, when the then Senate President declared "the Ministerial screening will not be business as usual". In a country where democracy works better, the people should even call for a special overtime payment for the Senate, for a good job well done, not the fuss the slip of announcement carries.

 

The Senate in time past spent 8 weeks for their August holidays, but now they are spending 6 weeks. Even students spend more than 6 weeks for the third term holiday, while a pupil in secondary schools spend an additional 2 weeks, as it is believed that no activity will be on for the first 2 weeks after resumption, save for clearing of the fields, and tidying up the school vicinity, let alone older men who are fathers. Sometimes, what is good for the goose is also for the gander, in this case, a higher gander. We should not be greedy and selfish in our actions and thought.

 

For all said, Nigerians should not take the words of the ‘Obidients’ for truth, they are just being pained about the loss at the poll, until the courts stamp the ‘undeniable’ victory of President Bola Ahmed (Abraham) Tinubu as authentic, they might continue to wallow in the guilt of contesting an election on the basis of ethnicity and religion.

 

Till some other time, God bless Nigeria.