The Senate has asked the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects (SERAP) to send its petition to the committee on Public Account of both chambers constituting the National Assembly.
The upper chamber assured SERAP that the allegation of misappropriation of N4.4b, by the federal parliament as contained in an audit report would be probed by the appropriate channels.
It, however, clarified that the alleged malfeasance didn’t happen under this current legislature but during the 8th National Assembly.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Ajibola Basiru, cleared the air yesterday while reacting to SERAP’s petition
He said, “This clarification is important as the wordings of the petition are capable of misleading the general public that SERAP is talking about the present National Assembly.
“It is not about any malfeasance by the current Assembly and its leadership as it is presently constituted, far from it”.
Basiru added, “The proper channels to send the petitions is the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Public Account if the real motive is genuinely to investigate the alleged corruption.”
The Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Kolawole Oluwadare, had in a statement alleged that an audit report revealed that the fund budgeted for the National Assembly, was misappropriated.
SERAP has therefore given Messrs Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, President of the Senate and Speaker, House of Representatives, respectively, 14 days ultimatum to address and implement the recommendations contained in the audit reports.
The Senator assured SERAP that if it diligently pursued its petition, the relevant committees of the two chambers would look into it.
