Senate President Ahmad Lawan has described as ”unfair and
baseless” a statement made by Maryam Uwais, special adviser to the president on
social investments.
Uwais had reacted to comments credited to Lawan and Femi
Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, on the national social
investment programme (NSIP).
Uwais said the comments of the national assembly leaders
were “regrettable and unfortunate”.
At a meeting with Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister of
humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, in Abuja on
Tuesday, Lawan and Gbajabiamila demanded a reform of the programme.
While the speaker wondered what parameters the government was
using to implement the programme, the senate president said: “I think we have
not been able to reach far out there to get them properly captured.”
But in a statement, Ola Awoniyi, special adviser on media to
the senate president, said at the meeting with Farouq, the national assembly
leaders “made some observations on aspects of the NSIP and recommended that the
implementation process be finetuned and the scheme be backed with legislation
to make it more efficient, effective and accord with global best practices”.
“Although the official Press Statement issued at the end of
the meeting clearly conveyed the deliberations and resolution of the meeting,
some misrepresentations appeared in the reports by one or two newspapers,” the
media aide said.
“Also, there was no mention of N2 trillion or any amount
whatsoever in the statement. Virtually all other media houses published or
broadcast the press statement accurately except for the errant reports
mentioned above.
“The comments at the meeting were not made to denigrate any
official but to make the scheme more effective in the delivery of its critical
mandate and these comments were well taken by the Honourable Minister and her
delegation.
“The minister was honest enough to admit that the NSIP had
some ‘challenges’ and also bedevilled with ‘intrigues’ which she was yet
battling with.
“The leadership of the national assembly would not have
suggested an enabling legislation for the NSIP if it does not believe in the
relevance of the scheme.”
Awoniyi said the misrepresentation made Uwais “to issue a
rejoinder containing unfortunate insinuations which were totally extraneous to
the discussions at the meeting”.
“We, therefore, take strong exception to the innuendo by the
presidential aide that her rejoinder was issued towards ‘safeguarding the
entitlements of the poorest of Nigerian citizens, whose benefits are likely to
cease because they are not known or connected to NASS members or any other
person of influence.’ That insinuation is unfair to the members of the national
assembly and entirely baseless,” he said.
The media aide said public office holders should be
receptive to constructive ideas and suggestions.
“The leadership of the national assembly is committed to
sustaining its cordial working relationship with the other arms of government
as it has seen the benefits of this approach in the improved environment and
speed of policy and decision making,” he said.
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