Holiday Bonanza: Reps Cry Foul Over Exclusion.

Discontentment is brewing in the House of Representatives over the exclusion of members from the particular monetary benefit accruing to the federal lawmakers ahead of their two-month recess.

Findings by our correspondent on Friday revealed that members of the House are angry that the financial aid provided for their senior colleagues in the Senate to ease the burden of the holiday in their various constituencies was not extended to them.

Already, it was gathered that members are lurching towards an angry showdown with Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal Magaji, as well as Clerk of the House of Representatives, Yahaya Danzaria, over the issue.

SERAP To Take Legal Action Against Akpabio Over ‘Holiday Allowances’ Remark.

They are also pointing accusing fingers at a presidential aide (names withheld), who might have allegedly collaborated with the House leadership to deny the opportunity to enjoy the holiday allowance.

This newspaper recalls that revelations by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in a viral video that an undisclosed amount of money had been sent to each of the senators to enable them to enjoy their holidays had sparked the latest development in the House of Representatives.

Akpabio, in a viral video from the last plenary of the Senate before the recess, said, “To enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk of the National Assembly.”

Holiday Bonanza: Reps Cry Foul Over Exclusion.

But when the statement sparked a rowdy session on the floor of the Senate, he rephrased the report and said, “I withdraw that statement. 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.”

Despite the retraction,  it was learnt that the lawmakers at the Green Chamber are angry that the goodwill was not extended to them.

This newspaper gathered that House members felt cheated and slighted that they were denied the “gesture and wherewithal, according to one  of them, “to equally enjoy the holidays like the Senators.”

Though some House members have left Abuja for their various holiday destinations within and outside the country, there were reports of desperate telephone calls and WhatsApp messages to their colleagues, remaining in Abuja, for information on the festering issue.

Painting the picture of the mood and feelings of the House members over the holiday bonanza fallout, a member said, “We are feeling terrible that we are excluded from the holiday bonanza the same way we were denied the Sallah packages. The Senators have enjoyed the Sallah and holiday packages. No one has been able to provide any convincing explanation as to why these monetary benefits are not always made available to members of the House.

“We thank God that the Senate President made that disclosure that holiday packages in the form of money were provided for the senators to make the holiday period pleasant and enjoyable for them; otherwise, we would not have known about that. Many people have been criticising Senator Akpabio for that statement. Still, we thank God He used the Senate President to expose how the House members in the 10th Assembly are being maltreated, stated a member who pleaded anonymity.

Also, a member who similarly appealed that his name should not be mentioned in print added: “Members of the House are suffering for lack of money to operate and live decently befitting their status. You can see that some of us are even in Abuja; we can’t travel home or elsewhere for the holiday because we don’t have the resources to do that. If we had been given the same financial aid as the senators to enable us to enjoy the holidays, we wouldn’t hibernate here in Abuja to starve off pressures from our constituents.

But reacting to the development, the Lower House said the legislature works collaboratively in the National Assembly but has separate administrative structures.

The House Committee on Media and public affairs chairman, Hon. Akin Rotimi Jr, told the journalist, “I cannot substantiate the claims of a ‘holiday bonanza given to senators’.

“I can, however, affirm that there is no such thing as honourable members being aggrieved for any reason.

“Rather, honourable members are patriotically going about their duties regarding constituency outreach in our respective constituencies, helping to bring succour to our people. We are also working hard on our responsibilities in the various ad-hoc committees to address critical issues in our country.

“The House of Representatives remains focused on delivering our individual and collective mandate to make Nigeria work for all citizens”.

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