The Senate has described as a lie an assertion that each senator got N20 million as COVID-19 palliative from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Director of Projects, Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, had made the claim in a newspaper interview.
He added that each member of the House of Representatives got N15 million as COVID-19 palliative too.
But in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, the Senate challenged Ojougboh to name the Senators that collected the palliative or apologise immediately.
Basiru described the allegation as a futile attempt to malign the upper chamber.
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“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 or 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,” the Basiru said.