Posted by From Gbade Ogunwale on
Members of the House of Representatives have received a N3 million overdraft to enable them to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr.
Members of the House of Representatives have received a N3 million overdraft to enable them to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr.
Investigation revealed that N3 million was approved for each of the 360 members of the House.
However, not all the members have accessed the facility, which was granted to the lawmakers before they went on recess on September 18.
But some members, who had collected N3 million each, told our correspondent that the money was not a grant but an overdraft that would be repaid.
Spokesman for the House Mr. Ita Enang said in a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday that the collection of the money was optional.
He said: "Let me make it clear to you that the facility was an arrangement between members and their banks. Let me state clearly that it is not a gift. It is an overdraft which must be paid back.
"I don't know the number of members that took it, but I did not take it. Those who collected it have an agreement with their banks to pay back from their next allocation.
"What I am telling you in essence is that the banks will deduct the money from the accounts of the members who collected the overdraft the moment the next allocation gets into their accounts."
It could not, however be established at the weekend how many lawmakers had accessed.
But a source said most of those who did were Muslim members who need to meet various obligations in their constituencies.
It was learnt that senators rejected the facility when it was extended to them.
Senate spokesman Senator Ayogu Eze confirmed that no senator collected the overdraft.
"I can assure you that no member of the Senate collected any money before we went on recess. I don't know about the House of Representatives since I am not a member and I don't speak for them," Eze said in a telephone interview.
The Senate and the House of Representatives had proceeded on recess on September 18 and members are expected to reconvene on October 7.