The House of Representatives has refuted recent media reports alleging that its members received N100 million in palliatives from the executive branch of the government.
A statement released by Akin Rotimi, the House’s spokesperson, addressed these claims. The statement was issued in response to reports attributed to Mr. Christopher Onyeka, the National Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who had alleged that the executive had disbursed N100 million as palliatives to National Assembly members.
Describing the claim as baseless and devoid of any factual accuracy, he said: “Transparency and truth in public discourse are necessary for a functioning democracy. While we doubt that Mr Onyeka was actually conveying the official position of the NLC on this claim, it is nonetheless important to correct such misinformation.
“We state categorically that Mr Onyeka lied in his claim that National Assembly members were given N100 million as palliatives. For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did members of the House of Representatives receive any money from the executive arm as palliatives. We, therefore, consider this statement malicious, irresponsible, and in bad faith.
“We consider it irresponsible and most unfortunate that Mr Onyeka would misrepresent facts in a bid to lend credence to otherwise valid demands of the NLC while seeking to denigrate the National Assembly and inciting the public against the institution.”
The House’s spokesperson emphasized that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), being an important contributor to Nigeria’s development, possesses a credible and influential voice. However, spreading unverified information could undermine the legitimacy of that voice within the country’s discourse.
In response, the House has requested that the NLC promptly correct this inaccurate statement and issue a public apology for spreading what they consider to be false information.
