Senate disputes supplemental budget padding

Reports that the 10th Senate bloated the supplementary budget, which was signed into law last week, were false, according to the Senate.

The upper legislative chamber was responding to accusations that the executive branch of government had padded the supplementary budget with N70 billion as a “gift” when they appeared in some online news sources.

Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, expressed his curiosity about how the reports came to be in a statement released on Sunday and provided to news media in Abuja. He claimed that lawmakers alone are responsible for passing laws and do not require gifts from the executive branch of government to carry out their duties.

According to the statement, among other national demands, the Supplementary Appropriations Act’s adoption was necessary to support the Federal Government’s palliative for the Nigerian people.

“Suffice it to state that the passage is a component of the Senate’s unquestionable constitutional role.

As a result, the statement said, “We would 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.”

“A visit to the suites, offices, and general structures of the National Assembly complex would reveal a yearning and the need for exigent attention,” stressed Senator Adaramodu. Many senators were required to bring their chairs, tables, and equipment, as well as do other repairs in many cases.

“No politician will receive payment from the contentiously discussed allocation. The National Assembly Bureaucracy will oversee this. It is important to remember that the National Assembly complex contains more people than only legislators. Numerous employees and service suppliers require updated working spaces as well as the appropriate equipment.

“This allotment cannot be described as a palliative for the parliamentarians because the Assembly Complex is not held by lawmakers who are essentially political birds of passage.

“Those who are trying to criticise the 10th parliament are the only ones who believe that the national parliament padded the palliative budget. There is no such thing as padding, contrary to what some biassed media outlets claim.

“We want to encourage fellow citizens to view the national assembly as partners in Nigeria’s progress.”