THE National Assembly has denied receiving a sum of $10 million to alter a section of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Senate President Ahmad Lawan made the comment shortly after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Monday.
Lawan was reacting to reports that some lawmakers are angry at the leadership of the National Assembly having been shortchanged in the distribution of a $10 million bribe for the passage of the petroleum industry law.
According to the report, the sum was paid to the lawmakers to approve a three per cent operating cost for host communities.
Reacting, Lawan described the report as unwarranted, unprovable, false and fake information being fed to the Nigerians.
He said that it was designed to damage his reputation and other members of the National Assembly.
“Somebody said $10 million was given to the Speaker and the Senate President to give to members of the National Assembly to pass three per cent host community development fund. That is funny, but also very serious,” he said.
“I really want to take this opportunity to take exceptions to those kinds of unwarranted, unprovable, false and fake information being fed to the Nigerian public and the danger people will face with this is you cause unnecessary damage to the reputation of people.”
He cautioned Nigerians from abused their freedom of expression as he charged them to always think positive about their leaders.
“So, the freedom of expression is there, probably more than anywhere in the world, but I want to caution that Nigerians should always think positive about their leaders and their governments and if they have issues they feel very strongly about, let them speak the truth and we are prepared to tell corrections that that we feel should be able to make us do better.”
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