The chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character, Senator Dino Melaye, has denied reports that more than N1 trillion of the 2017 budget has been allocated to the constituency projects of members of the National Assembly.
He said the report was fallacious and malicious, as it was primed to ridicule both chambers of the legislative arm of government.
Melaye spoke to newsmen in Offa, Kwara State on the sidelines of the Empowerment scheme of a Senator representing Kwara South Senatorial District, DrRafiu Adebayo Ibrahim.
The Kogi West senator asked Nigerians to disregard the report because, according to him, it is a calculated attempt to bring the National Assembly to disrepute.
“That (over N1trillion of the 2017 budget has been allotted to National Assembly members constituency projects) is a blatant lie, it is not true, it is fallacious, it is malicious and it is totally not correct,” Melaye said.
On the Petroleum Industry Bill, the senator said the legal framework had undergone public hearing, assuring that the Senate would not waste time passing the bill.
“It has gone through public hearing and more than any other senate, this senate has successfully unbundled the PIB and as I speak to you, the bill is already undergoing consideration for submission of the floor, and I want to assure you that it will be passed in no time”, he said.
Speaking on war against corruption, the legislator said the 8th Senate, under its current leadership, was committed to fight the monster to a standstill.
“We are not thinking of corruption; we are fighting corruption and we are in the vanguard (of war against corruption. We have a capable leader, who is a champion of anti-corruption and one of those who fought it during Jonathan’s administration, and I can tell you that one of our cardinal objectives and agenda in the 8th Senate, is to fight corruption and the (Senate President) Bukola Saraki, is championing that,”Melaye stated.