Olusegun Dada, the special assistant on social media to President Bola Tinubu on his official X handle on Thursday, confirmed the distribution of palliative items worth N200 million to senators and palliative items worth N100 million to House of Representatives members.
“After initial logistics delay, I can now confirm that Senators and members of the House of Representatives have started taking stock of the Federal Government’s palliative items for their constituents as part of efforts to ease life for all Nigerians. Each HoR member received items worth N100m while Senatorial constituencies got palliative items worth N200m” the presidential aide said.
Reacting to the claim, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said he has yet to receive any palliative items from the federal government.
Mr Adaramodu explained that he distributed food items and money to his constituents for the celebration of Christmas and New Year but that the distribution was funded by him and not the federal government.
“Was it the minister that said that or the president because as for me I have not seen anything” he said.
“If they had handed it over to us, you would see trailers loaded with food items across all constituencies in Ekiti State, Ondo and Oyo states and other states. Our people will even be happy to get the items from the federal government”.
“As for me, Yemi Adaramodu, I have not received any food items from the federal government. The food I distributed to my people across my constituency was funded personally by me and that has been my tradition every year even while I was the Chief of Staff, before I got elected to the House of Representatives.
“I have read all these things on the internet too, many people are just saying a lot of things but for me, Yemi Adaramodu, I have not received any food items from the federal government, maybe when they give us, I will tell you.”
Mr Adaramodu said distributing food items to members of his constituency has been his tradition since he was chief of staff to Ekiti State Government before he was elected into the House of Representatives and then the Senate.
“It is my tradition to distribute rice and money to my constituent members every year, I have done that this year independently and it is not from the federal government, I have not seen anything from the government.
Ezrel Tabiowo, media adviser to the immediate past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, also said he is not aware whether his principal received the palliative items or not.
But, Mr Tabiowo said many of the outreaches and palliative distribution the former senate president had done were personally funded by his foundation.
“N200 million cannot even buy bags of grains that will be sufficient for one constituenency in Nigeria. Do the calculations, I doubt if that money will buy bags of grains that will sustain a constituency, it is not possible.
“N200 million can only buy 6000 bags of rice at an average price of N30,000 per bag. To get the number of bags each lawmaker can get as palliative, divide 6000 bags by 470, that is about 12 bags each. The claim makes no sense as you can see” Mr Tabiowo said.
An aide to the Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, who requested anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, said his principal has yet to receive any palliative items from the government.
The aide noted that the items his principal distributed to members of his constituents were personally funded.
Presidential Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, did not respond to a message sent to his mobile phone requesting his comments.
