The tradition of the Nigerian Senate is NOT to question ministerial nominees. Instead, they take bribes from them and ask them to “take a bow and go” and enjoy the plums of their offices.
SaharaReporters in a story published August 9, 2023, reports that “Sources in the National Assembly told SaharaReporters that N2 million was sent to each of the senators by Akpabio who had received N1 billion from ministerial nominees.” SaharaReporters further reports that “The Senators described Akpabio’s action as blackmail, to ensure they received the stock from their constituents for a “paltry sum” while he had pocketed the bulk of the bribe money paid to him.”
The history of Nigerian politics is lined with shameless politicians lining their pockets. But the present generation of politicians truly represents an elite list of Nigeria’s most crooked politicians. What Akpabio’s scam lacks in shame compared to some of the other great Nigerian frauds, it makes up for in audacity. Akpabio has turned part of his senatorial duties of screening ministerial nominees into a revenue source. Worst of all, Akpabio is determined to further drag Nigeria into the rabbit hole at this time of the country’s darkest hour.
With his influence and power, Akpabio continues to institutionalize rampant corruption and the toxic debasement of Nigerian politics. Meanwhile, as Akpabio and his corrupt senators earn eye-popping N14.4 million monthly base salary plus unlimited criminal allowances and perks, Nigerian families continue to suffer enormous hardships from poverty wages, childhood and family hunger, limited access to basic personal needs, transportation, and healthcare; inequitable education, and the inevitable consequences of keeping so many millions of Nigerians desperately stuck in generational poverty, domestic trauma, hopelessness, and brutish lifestyles.
Nigerian senators are collectively building a hopeless and dreamless future for Nigerian families and communities. Things are becoming harder and worse for Nigerian families because of our politicians’ greed, mad ambition for power and influence, arrogance, and lack of ethical morality. Nigeria is doomed!
Where is the EFCC when Akpabio collected N1 billion bribe from ministerial nominees? Known for its selective persecution, EFCC looks the other way. Instead, EFCC is busy chasing Yahoo Yahoo boys from alley to alley. The massive criminal record of corruption of Akpabio is enough baggage and a barrier to disqualify him from the top senate job. EFCC must arrest Akpabio and bring him to justice.