…Accuses Former President of Peddling Falsehood
…No Senator Has Received Monetary Patronage from Presidency – Adaramodu
…10th Assembly Maintains Highest Level of Accountability and Transparency – Agbese
The 10th Senate has accused former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of peddling falsehood against federal lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Senator representing Ekiti South and Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu made the declaration in a statement on Sunday.
The Senate spokesperson reaction was on the heels of allegation by the former President that the Senate and House of Representatives members fixed their salaries independently, without recourse to the agency statutorily empowered, the the Revenue Mobilization Fiscal Allocation Commission.
Senator Adaramodu who maintained that there was no iota of truth in the allegation noted that; the Senate receives only the salary allocated constitutionally by the Revenue Mobilization Fiscal Allocation Commission.
While challenging Obasanjo to substantiate his claim, Senator Adaramodu equally dismissed the allegation of financial patronage from the Presidency, as he clarified that; no Senator has received any monetary patronage from the Presidency.
According to the Senate spokesperson statement, the Nigerian Senate is petrified by the tattling story of determining its own salaries and receiving a special fiscal package from the Presidency adding that the sordid and telltale assertion was amplified during a visit of a group of House of Representatives members to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Senate received only the salary allocated constitutionally by the Revenue Mobilization Fiscal Allocation Commission and therefore, challenged anyone who is privileged, either in qualified or absolute position to bring forth any contrary fact.
It informed the unsuspecting public that no Senator has received any monetary patronage from the Presidency saying that the mischievously touted consistency projects are not for the legislators but are only suggested and nominated by the Legislators in accordance with the practice in other Democracies worldwide.
“Look at your case, with all due respect. “You are not supposed to fix your salaries or your allowances; it is supposed to be done by the RMFAC, but you decide what you pay yourselves, the allowances that you give yourselves — newspaper allowances, pant allowances — you give yourself all sorts of things. With due respect, you know it is not right.
“It is not right for me to be the one to declare and determine what I pay myself. It is immoral, and then you are doing it.
“The senate is doing it, and in some cases, the executive gives you what you are not entitled to. You all got N200 million.”
“The Nigerian Senate is petrified by the tattling story of determining its own salaries and receiving a special fiscal package from the Presidency,” he said.
“This sordid and telltale assertion was amplified during a visit of a group of House of Representatives members to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“We challenge anyone who is privileged, either in qualified or absolute position to bring forth any contrary fact. The Senators or the National Assembly do not and cannot fix their salaries.
“And the amount varies depending on the number of constituencies in each state of the federation. It’s merely a contribution to the Federal budget to ensure that every nook and cranny of Nigeria feels Federal presence,” he said.
“We are actually in a season of political pontificating when irreverent scaremongering takes prominence.”
Adaramodu said the senate would not do anything to harm the country’s economy because it is a “responsible and responsive chamber”.
Similarly, the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, on Sunday bombed the former president saying that the 10th House of Representatives is different from the one in his (Obasanjo’s) era.
Agbese, in a statement to debunk the claim said;
“The former president is always right and wrong because the 10th House of Representatives is totally different from his era.”
The 10th Assembly according to him, “maintain the highest level of accountability and transparency.”
He said: “I am bold to say that the very respected former president is right and wrong because of the things that transpired between him and the National Assembly during his time as president.
“Stories abound that he was helpless. This is no longer the case, as quite a lot has been done by the current crop of representatives to deliver to the poor masses” he said.
