The House of Representatives has refuted allegations made by the Nigeria Labour Congress leadership that the Federal Government provided palliatives worth N100 million to National Assembly members.
The claim was made in a statement released in Abuja by Christopher Onyeka, the NLC’s national assistant secretary.
Akin Rotimi, the chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, responded to the claim by calling it unfounded and “devoid of factual accuracy.”
“The House of Representatives notes news reports across multiple newspaper, electronic, and online media, of a statement attributed to the National Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Mr. Christopher Onyeka,” stated the statement.
“In the aforementioned remark, Mr. Onyeka asserted that the executive arm had handed N100 million in palliatives to National Assembly members. This assertion lacks any basis in reality and is false. A democracy cannot function without transparency and truth in public dialogue. Even if we don’t believe Mr. Onyeka accurately represented the NLC’s official view on this assertion, it’s nevertheless critical to dispel this misperception.
“First, we absolutely assert that Mr. Onyeka lied when he said that members of the National Assembly received N100 million as palliatives. To be clear, members of the House of Representatives never received any money from the executive branch in the form of relief. Therefore, we view this assertion as being malicious, reckless, and made in bad faith.
“We believe that Mr. Onyeka’s decision to fabricate facts in an effort to support the otherwise legitimate demands of the NLC—while also aiming to degrade the National Assembly and incite the people against the institution—is reckless and extremely sad.
The House of Representatives is reportedly requesting an instant denial of the claims and an official apology from the NLC for disseminating them.
As a result, the Nigeria Labour Congress is required by the House of Representatives to retract this false statement right now and provide a formal apology. As a significant player in the development of Nigeria, the NLC has a voice, and if it is discovered that it incorporates myths into its genuine agitations, it runs the risk of losing that voice.
In fewer than 100 days, the 10th Assembly demonstrated its commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers and all citizens, according to the statement.
“We want to remind the NLC and all Nigerians that we have shown our commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers and all Nigerians in less than 100 days of the 10th Assembly’s tenure.
The House of Representatives swiftly carried out the necessary legislative action in response to the executive branch of government’s request for funding for palliatives for Nigerians, among other measures.
The statement continued, “We have also constantly urged the executive to swiftly implement these palliative measures in order to effectively and efficiently reach disadvantaged Nigerians, as well as contributed our voices to the need for an immediate review of the minimum wage.
“We would like the NLC to view the National Assembly as allies rather than competitors. The 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives would want to reassure Nigerians that we are still dedicated to improving the welfare of our citizens.
The Assembly stated that they are aware of the challenges faced by Nigerians as a result of the elimination of the fuel subsidy and further stated that they would keep pressing the executive branch to act quickly to lessen the burden on the populace.
“We sympathize with all Nigerians on account of the suffering brought on by the removal of the fuel subsidy and will continue to pressure the executive to swiftly implement measures to ease the suffering of Nigerians at this time, but more importantly, work with all stakeholders to rebuild our country to ensure no Nigerian is left behind,” it said.
