The senate was thrown into a
rowdy session on Wednesday over a claim by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
lawmaker.
Biodun Olujimi, minority leader
of the senate, alleged that the federal government is using the funds of the
Social Investment Programme (SIP) to secure permanent voter cards ahead of the
2019 elections.
Olujimi said ‘I Stand With
Buhari’ is written on the forms given to recipients of the SIP funds.
“Right now the funds are being
used for political reasons and they are being dispensed and given freely to
people who can bring up their PVCs and signed several copies. The issuants are
now in charge,” she said.
“One of the forms is here is here
with me and it is being disbursed by the special intervention body.
“This one has ‘I Stand With
Buhari’ and it has a place where your
PVC will be written with your gender and an attachment from access bank are
money will be dispensed to. There is no corruption greater than people using
our collective funds to maintain a political party.
“There is a need for the
committee to be set up to look into this issue. There has to be a high powered
ad hoc committee that must look into this. It is an election year and people
are using these funds that are not the best to buy PVCs and put them to use on
election day.”
After Olujimi finished speaking,
Senate President Bukola Saraki asked Ahmed Lawan, senate leader, to comment but
Adeola Olamilekan, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senator, interjected.
He began speaking at the top his
voice in protest of the allegation, resulting in a rowdy chamber.
After a few minutes, Saraki said:
“This drama that is going on is on unnecessary. Minority leader has spoken, let
majority leader have the floor, let him speak.”
Once the rowdiness subsided,
Saraki urged Lawan to speak, but Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west,
raised a point of order.
He said the motion needed to be
seconded before Lawan could speak.
When Lawan finally got an
opportunity to speak, he said the SIP programme of the federal government is
transparent.
“I have listed attentively to the
motion raised by the senate minority leader. Let me say from the onset that SIP
of this administration is computer-based, very transparent,” he said.
“That is why for the first time
in the history of Nigeria, we have a fool-proof system that anywhere you may be
in Nigeria, you will apply online.”
The senate leader said the SURE-P
programme of the past administration was not transparent.
Thereafter, the senate resolved
to set up an ad hoc committee to probe Olujimi’s allegation.
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