Senate President Godswill Akpabio has issued an apology to state governors over his recent remarks concerning an alleged N30 billion hardship allowance.
During a plenary session last Tuesday, Akpabio referenced an unconfirmed report suggesting that each state governor had received N30 billion from the federal government to mitigate the impact of inflation and high food costs.
The comments sparked denials from the governors and public backlash, leading Akpabio to express regret for his reliance on unverified information and issue an apology to the governors.
In a statement titled “N30bn to State Governors from Unverified Report: I Hold Governors in High Esteem – Akpabio,” the Senate President reaffirmed his respect for the governors and recognized their significant contributions to various legislative initiatives.
The statement clarified that the Senate President’s comments during the plenary session on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, were based on an unverified cumulative sum of about N30bn paid to sub-national governments by the Federal Government to alleviate the food situation for citizens.
Akpabio expressed regret for any misunderstandings and emphasized the importance of state governments collaborating with the Federal government to implement strategic interventions to address the country’s current economic challenges.
He acknowledged the crucial role of state governments as partners in the current administration’s efforts and as valuable stakeholders in legislative engagements. He urged sub-national governments not to be distracted by any misinterpretation of his statement and recognized their ongoing efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the current socio-economic climate.
