Akpabio apologizes to NGF over N30bn claim

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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has issued an apology to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) led by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State for his remarks regarding the alleged N30 billion allowance intended to alleviate the impact of food price inflation.

This retraction was released by his (Akpabio) Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh in a statement shared on the official Facebook page of the Kwara State Government on Tuesday.

As per the statement, the apology followed a meeting between the Senate President and the NGF Chairman, along with some of his counterparts in Abuja the previous day.

During a plenary session last Tuesday, Akpabio mentioned an “unverified report” suggesting that state governors had received N30 billion each from the Federation Account to mitigate the effects of inflation and rising food costs.

The statement has sparked controversy in the public sphere, with some commentators urging governors to clarify whether they received the mentioned funds.

Mr Eyiboh expressed high regard for the governors, noting that Akpabio consistently exhibits a dedication to team building and will continue to do so under the current circumstances.

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Consequently, he urged sub-national governments not to be swayed by any misinterpretation of the statement’s context and true intent.

“The President of the Senate recognises and appreciates the current efforts of the governors at ameliorating the adverse effects of the current inclement socio-economic environment and therefore invites more hands on the plow to complement the renewed hope agenda,” he added. 

The statement reads: “During the session, the President of the Senate commented on the payment of an unverified cumulative sum of about N30bn to the sub-national governments by the Federal Government for various interventions to ameliorate the food situation of our citizens at the sub-national governments.

“The unfortunate conjectures to take away the kernel in the material facts of FAAC payment are rather regretted. In considering the well-intended motive of urging state governments to collaborate with the Federal government of President Bola Tinubu to facilitate strategic interventions to mitigate the prevailing economic situation in the country remains the underpinning motivation in the comment.

“The President of the Senate is not oblivious to the fact that state governments are functional partners in all the efforts of the current administration of President Bola Tinubu and are also valuable stakeholders in the various legislative engagements of the legislature in creating the nexus between the legislature and the people.”