Hardship: I Hold Governors In High Esteem – Akpabio Makes U-turn On N30bn Comment

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has made a u-turn over a comment he made that President Bola Tinubu administration’s gave state governments a N30 billion hardship allowance.

Recall that during a recent plenary session, the former Akwa Ibom Governor had authoritatively mentioned that state governors received the money from the Federal Government.

According to him, the N30 billion given to each from the Federation Account was to help address the challenges of inflation and rising food prices.

Akpabio spoke at the plenary of Wednesday, February 21, 2024, during the presentation of a report of the joint committees on Finance, Agriculture/Food Sufficiency, Banking and Insurance.

However, a statement from his media office on Monday suggested that the Senate President’s statement was misconceived.

“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 statement said.

“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,” it read.