AMINA HUSSAINI
The leadership of the Senate has debunked allegation that members of the National Assembly received COVID-19 palliatives from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, challenged the NDDC to provide evidence to back up the claim that members of the National Assembly were beneficiaries of COVID-19 palliatives from the Commission.
The Executive Director (Projects) of NDDC, Cairo Ojuogboh, had recently alleged that senators and members of the House of Representatives were beneficiaries of COVID-19 palliatives from NDDC.
“In the National Assembly, each of the Senators got N20 million, while the House of Representatives members got N15 million for COVID-19 from the National Assembly,” Ojuogboh said.
Ojougboh had also accused the National Assembly of being “culpable in the sleaze contracts awarded by the commission”.
Reacting to the allegation via a statement on Tuesday, the Senate spokesman denied that members of the National Assembly received COVID-19 palliatives as alleged by Ojuogboh
He, therefore, challenged Ojuogboh to provide the names of lawmakers who were beneficiaries of the said palliative, or immediately retract his statement alongside tendering an apology to the National Assembly in the absence of evidence to backup his claims.
The statement reads: “The Senate views with grave concern a statement credited to Dr Cairo Ojougboh, the Executive Director, Projects of the NDDC who alleged that National Assembly members received varying sums of money as COVID-19 palliative. The Senate hereby disclaims the allegation in its entirety.
“The Senate categorically denies that any Senator collected the sum of N20 million or any sum whatsoever from NDDC as Covid relief fund of for any purpose whatsoever.
“The Senate challenges Dr Ojougboh to publicly provide evidence of his claim and list the names of the Senators he allegedly gave the alleged sum.”
“Failure to provide evidence of his claim, the Senate hereby demands immediate retraction and public apology from Dr Cairo Ojougboh,” Basiru added.
(Reuters)
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