Why Senators Got N500million Each For Constituency Projects – Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele

In the midst of severe hunger and excruciating hardship and pains being experienced by majority of Nigerians, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) has confirmed that ranking Senators received N500 million each for constituency projects in the 2024 Budget.

Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe (PDP-Cross River North) opened the lid over the N500million allocated to each senior senator in the 2024 budget for constituency projects.

Jarigbe, who revealed the allocation of N500million to each of the ranking Senators while contributing to the motion moved by Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West), regarding the allegation of the 2024 budget padding, said it would be wrong for any member of the Senate to apportion blame on Senator Abdul Ningi.

Senator Jarigbe’s revelation was later confirmed by Senator Bamidele, who buttressed the position by affirming that it is true that the senators received N500million constituency funds.

He however, appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with the lawmakers in implementing the projects in their various constituencies.

Bamidele 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,” he said.

Senator Jarigbe alleged on the floor of the plenary that all senators are guilty if they investigate the budget and constituency projects.

In his words; “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 am a ranking senator; I did not receive one. Did I go to the press? Most of you got it”.