The Senate has denounced reports by that N70billion allocated to the National Assembly in the recently passed N819billion Supplementary Appropriation Act Bill was ‘palliatives’ for lawmakers.
The red chamber also denied reports that the lawmakers ‘padded’ the supplementary budget.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South), who made the clarifications in a statement in Abuja, said the money is meant for “facelift” of the National Assembly and not for individual lawmakers.
He added that presently, some lawmakers had to bring in some of their personal effects like “chairs and tables” for temporary usage as their offices were undergoing renovation.
Adaramodu said the Senate was not ready to join issues with mischief makers who claim the N70b was a ‘gift’ from the Executive arm of government to the lawmakers.
He insisted that the passage of the Supplementary Appropriation Act Bill was part of the constitutional duties of the Senate to accommodate funding for the Federal Government’s Palliatives for the Nigerian public among other national demands.
Adaramodu said: “After the passage of the Supplementary Budget to accommodate funding for Federal Government’ Palliatives for the Nigerian public, among other urgent national demands, the socio-political space has been inundated with spurious, inaccurate and irreverent misinterpretations.
“Suffice to say that the passage is part of the absolute constitutional duty of the Senate. We would, therefore, not wish to join issues with the mischief and misrepresentation that a portion of the just passed Amendment Act that appropriated N70billion was a ‘gift’ to the Legislators.”
According to the Ekiti South lawmaker, “a visit to the suites, offices and the general structures of the National Assembly Complex would reveal a yawning gap and the need for exigent attention.
“Many Senators had to bring their chairs, tables and electronics and in many cases, do sundry repairs.
“The so much debated allocation will not be paid to any Legislators. This will be managed by the National Assembly’s bureaucracy.
“It’s pertinent to also note that the National Assembly complex does not house only the Legislators. There are thousands of workers and service providers, whose working environment needs a face-lift, and/with necessary tools.
“Since the Assembly Complex is not owned by legislators who are merely political birds of passage, such allocation cannot be termed by anyone as a palliative to the legislators.
“The alleged padding of the palliative budget by the National Assembly only exists in the minds of those who are all out to discredit the 10th Assembly. There is nothing like padding as is being alleged by some misinformed media outfits.
“We wish to urge fellow compatriots to see the National Assembly as partners in the progress of Nigeria. The National Assembly is the soul of democracy and the 10th Senate shall join hands with other arms of government and our forward-looking Nigerians to sing new songs of progress, development, safety and all-round economic recovery and growth.”