8th January, 2024
The Presidency has denied insinuations that President Bola Tinubu doled out N100 million and N200 million to members of the House of Representatives and Senators for distribution as palliatives to the people in their constituencies and senatorial districts during the Yuletide.
The presidency made the clarifications following agitations that the lawmakers have failed to deliver the largess by President Tinubu to people in their constituencies and districts.
Rather, the statement indicated that President Tinubu only ordered the distribution of bags of rice worth N100m and N200m to each senator and House of Reps member and the procurement of the items is ongoing.
In a statement issued on Sunday titled: “Clarification on the distributed NASS palliatives by the Presidency during the festive period,” the Presidency categorically denied that President Tinubu gave out cash to the National Assembly members as palliatives to the people in the constituencies and senatorial districts.
The statement which was issued by special assistant to the president on social media, Dada Olusegun, reads: “The President through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security only distributed rice and other food items as palliatives and sort of Constituency Projects worth 100 Million per Federal Constituency and N200 Million per Senatorial Constituency.
“The NASS members are considered to be closest to ordinary Nigerians people in all parts of the country. The emanating insinuations from some Nigerians out there suggesting that some National Assembly members are hoarding the palliatives is grossly misleading because they can only distribute when they have received it, and this is due to logistic reasons behind the distribution process.
“Again, President Tinubu approved the distribution of trailers’ load of food materials to National Assembly members, but it was not done in cash. It was food items sourced through the Ministry of Agriculture.”