In a statement, Nigerian Senate has vehemently denied allegations suggesting it is involved in determining its salaries or receiving special fiscal packages from the Presidency.
This claim, which reportedly emerged during a visit by members of the House of Representatives to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Ogun State, has sparked widespread public debates.
In the statement released by Senate Spokesman Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) on Sunday in Abuja, the Senate described the allegations as an attempt to “crucify the legislature by the centurions of political hypocrisy.”
The spokesman stressed that no Senator has received any financial patronage from the Presidency.
He clarified that the constituency projects often linked to the legislature are merely suggested and nominated by Senators, following practices common in other democracies worldwide.
Trying to set the record straight, Adaramodu said that the Senate only receives the salary allocated to it by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC), in strict accordance with constitutional provisions.
He added that the Senate challenges anyone with credible evidence to present contrary facts, describing any suggestion that the National Assembly fixes its salaries as “uncharitable and satanic.”
Adaramodu further explained that “the Executive arm of government, through its various ministries and agencies, is responsible for awarding contracts for constituency projects. The funds allocated for these projects vary depending on the number of constituencies in each state, and the intention is to ensure that every region of Nigeria benefits from federal resources.”
As the country enters what some describe as a “season of political pontificating,” Adaramodu assured the public that the 10th Assembly remains a “responsible and responsive chamber.”