The 10th Senate said reports that it padded the supplementary budget, which was passed into law last week, were mischievous.
The upper legislative chamber was reacting to reports in some online news outlets that the sum of N70 billion was padded into the supplementary budget as a “gift” from the executive arm of government.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu and made available to newsmen in Abuja, he wondered how the purveyors arrived at such reports, stating that passing laws was exclusive to lawmakers, hence, they needed no gift from the executive arm of government before doing their works.
The statement asserted that the passage of the Supplementary Appropriation Act was to accommodate funding for the Federal Government’s Palliative for the Nigerian public, among other National demands.
“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 N70 billion was a ‘gift’ to the Legislators,” the statement noted.
Senator Adaramodu stressed that “a visit to the suites, offices and the general structures of the National Assembly complex would reveal a yearning and the need for exigent attention. Many Senators had to bring their chairs, tables and electronics and in many cases, do sundry repairs.
“The much debated allocation will not be paid to any legislator. This will be managed by the National Assembly 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 environments need a facelift and/or the necessary tools.
“Since the Assembly Complex is not owned by legislators who are merely political birds of passage, such an 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 alleged by some misinformed media outfits.
“We wish to urge fellow compatriots to see the national assembly as partners in the progress of Nigeria.”
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