Senate Denies Receiving N200m Palliatives, Contradicting Presidential Aide’s Claims

The Senate has refuted assertions that its members have started receiving the Federal Government’s palliative items. This contradicts the statement made by Olusegun Dada, the special assistant on social media to President Bola Tinubu, who confirmed the distribution of N200 million worth of palliative items to senators and N100 million to members of the House of Representatives.

Responding to the claim, Yemi Adaramodu, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, stated that he, personally, has not received any palliative items from the federal government. He emphasized that the distribution of food items and money to his constituents during the Christmas and New Year celebrations was funded by him, not the government.

Adaramodu’s sentiments were echoed by Ezrel Tabiowo, media adviser to the immediate past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan. Tabiowo emphasized the impracticality of N200 million covering the needs of an entire constituency, questioning the validity of the claim.

A source close to the Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, revealed that the senator has not received any palliative items from the government. The source emphasized that items distributed to constituents were privately funded.

Despite attempts to seek clarification, Presidential Spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale remained silent, failing to respond to inquiries regarding the alleged distribution of palliatives.

As doubts persist over the purported palliative distribution, discrepancies between the Senate’s denial and the presidential aide’s confirmation raise questions about the transparency and accuracy of information surrounding government initiatives.