Sen Opeyemi Bamidele, the lawmaker representing Ekiti Central has confirmed that his colleagues received N500 million for constituency projects.
Bamidele, who is also the Majority Leader of the Red Chamber, stated this during an interview with journalists after plenary on Tuesday, March 12.
He affirmed that the senators received constituency funds and appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with the lawmakers in implementing the projects in their various constituencies.
He said: “I was going through online, and it’s trending that every senator got N500m here today, and I am not going to deny anything. My appeal to Nigerians today is not about what was said here today because I am not going to deny that.
“But we have 12 months to implement this budget and see whether any of these senators here will not implement boreholes, enough solar street lights, road construction, training, and empowerment that will not be up to N500m.”
Recall that the Senate had a rowdy session on Tuesday after Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe (PDP-Cross River North) claimed that some “senior senators” got N500 million in the 2024 budget for constituency projects.
Jarigbe made the claim while contributing to the motion moved by Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Ogun West, regarding the allegation of the 2024 budget padding.
The Cross River lawmaker alleged that all senators are guilty if they investigate the budget and constituency projects.
He said: “We are going forth and back on these issues — the issue of the budget and individual issues concerning what came to our various constituencies.
“If we want to discuss those issues, all of us are culpable. Some senior senators received N500 million each. I’m a ranking senator; I did not receive one. Did I go to the press? Most of you got it.
“Let us wash our dirty linen in public.”
