The Senate has said that it is not ready to join issues with some misguided mischief-makers on the recently appropriated N70bn for the National Assembly, which was a gift from the executive arm of government.
The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly clarified that the Senate’s constitutional duties included passing the Supplementary Appropriation Act.
The Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, stated these in a release today.
The release was a reaction to the alleged padding of the Supplementary Budget and the N70 billion ‘gift’ for the lawmakers, as reported in some media.
Adaramodu said the Senate was not ready to join in on issues with those he described as mischief-makers who alleged that the recently appropriated N70 billion for the National Assembly was a gift from the Executive.
He added that the passage of the Supplementary Budget was to accommodate funding for the palliatives by the Federal Government for the Nigerian public, among other national demands.
Senator Adaramodu further said the N70 billion appropriated for the National Assembly was not for the legislators but for sundry repairs of their “suites, offices and general structure of the National Assembly Complex.
“After the passage of the Supplementary Budget to accommodate funding for Federal Government’ Palliative 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 of the Supplementary Budget 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,” Adaramodu stated.
He further stressed that “a visit to the suites, offices and general structures of the National Assembly Complex would reveal a yawning 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. The National Assembly bureaucracy will manage this.
“It is 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 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 supplementary 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 in 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.
“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,” Senator Adaramodu added.
