The Senate has refuted media reports credited to the Director, Media and Publicity of the Muhammadu Buhari 2019 Presidential Campaign Committee, Engr. Kailani Muhammad, alleging hoarding of palliatives meant for distribution to Nigerians by lawmakers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Engr Kailani was reported to have berated some governors and federal lawmakers for their part in hoarding palliatives, saying that their actions “revealed how selfish elected leaders have become.”
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But the Senate spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru described the allegations “as either wicked lies or deliberate misinformation on the part of Engr Kailani.”
Basiru, in a statement by his media aide, Remi Ibitola, said no federal lawmaker received palliatives from the federal government for onward distribution to their constituents.
He said the Senators donated half of their salaries to support the government’s efforts in fighting the pandemic.
“While not speaking for the Governors, I make bold to say that no Federal lawmaker and indeed, no Senator received any kobo from Mr President or any food stuff or any material for that matter, talk less of hoarding them.
“Rather at the Senate, we donated half of members’ salaries for the purpose of cushioning the effect of COVID 19.
“We legislators equally played our part by purchasing and distributing palliatives to people at our different constituencies. So it is quite unfortunate for Kilani Mohammed or anyone to castigate us in the public and saying what is not true”, he said.