The Senate on Tuesday denied claims by the Director of Projects, Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, that the commission gave N20m to each senator as palliative.
The upper chamber dismissed the allegations as not only false and mischievous but aimed at deceiving right thinking members of the society.
Ojougboh, had alleged in a recent newspaper interview that the agency gave N20m to each senator while each of the House of Representatives member collected N15m as palliative.
But in a statement titled “NDDC boss says senators got N20m, reps N15m each for COVID–19 – a disclaimer,” the Senate, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, denied Ojougboh’s disclaimed the allegation in its entirety.
Basiru challenged Ojougboh to either release the full list of the lawmakers who benefitted from the palliative or tender a public apology immediately.
“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 an immediate retraction and a public apology from Dr Cairo Ojougboh.”