By Matthew Okon
The wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, has explained that her recent visit to the National Assembly complex was to inspect malfunctioning equipment and facilities in the Senate Chamber at the instance of her husband, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
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The clarification followed reports and speculation surrounding her access to the Senate Chamber during the legislative recess, with some narratives suggesting that the visit was for undisclosed or “unholy” purposes.
In a statement signed by Naziru Ibrahim Wambai, a member of Northern Youth for Good Governance, the reports were described as misinformation and an attempt to create a controversy where none existed.
According to the statement, Mrs Akpabio’s visit was “purely administrative and domestic in nature,” following complaints by senators and staff about the poor state of some equipment and facilities in the upper chamber.
The statement said the Senate President had received several complaints concerning malfunctioning facilities and the alleged poor execution of some contractual works and was concerned about the situation.
It explained that Mrs Akpabio offered to inspect the facilities personally and provide her husband with an informed assessment of the situation.
The statement also dismissed claims that she was accompanied by “marabouts” or other questionable individuals, describing the allegation as false and misleading.
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It said those who accompanied her were professionals, including electrical engineers, ICT and audio-visual technicians, as well as building maintenance experts, who were invited to assess the reported faults.
The group further denied that the visit constituted a breach of National Assembly security protocols, saying the exercise was conducted with the knowledge and authorisation of relevant officials.
It added that the individuals who accompanied Mrs Akpabio were identified and cleared personnel whose movement within the facility was consistent with administrative oversight procedures.
On the timing of the visit, the statement explained that the inspection took place on a Saturday because the Senate was not in session, allowing the facilities to be assessed without disrupting legislative activities.
It said the approximately 50-minute duration of the visit was necessary to inspect multiple equipment and facilities within the chamber.
The statement described Mrs Akpabio as a woman of integrity who has supported her husband’s public service and engaged in philanthropic activities.
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It urged members of the public to disregard what it described as unfounded allegations and focus attention on the legislative work of the Senate.
The statement also said the Senate President remained committed to improving the working conditions of lawmakers and staff and delivering good governance to Nigerians.