Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as ‘Yayi’, representing Lagos West Senatorial District, has finally broken his silence over his N50 million largesse given to the 10 Local Government Area and 18 Local Council Development Area in his Senatorial District to purchase food stuff. The money, he says, is a palliative step to his constituents in this critical period of lockdown and restriction of movement due to the deadly Pandemic Coronavirus.
The largesse set the social media on fire, generating mixed feelings.
Some criticised him for exploiting a sad situation for politicking and preparing for 2023 elections. Others, however, heaped praises on the Ogun State born Senator.
The conventional media has also been enmeshed in controversy over the said amount, as different publications dismissed it as fake.
However, a press statement released by his Media aide said:
“The attention of Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), and chairman Senate Committee on Finance, has been drawn to stories on some blogs, conventional media and social media of purported fraud allegation on the disbursement of his N50million donation as palliative for poor and vulnerable persons, families and groups during the COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos West.
“The Senator will not be dragged into the blatant falsehood contained in the sponsored write-ups, however, regrets the shameful attempt to politicize the issue of palliatives during a preventive lockdown for the containment of the global pandemic that is ravaging humanity on the altar of local petty politics stressing that the identity of the brain behind the campaign of calumny and his fraudulent antecedents are known as no amount of subterfuge by his minions and faceless group can wipe the trail of their huge financial inducement for the hatchet write ups publication.
“For the records my donation was not a political campaign gambit as there is no election anytime soon and neither is it a reward for party members or voters in the largest senatorial district of some 12 million people. It is a relief package targeted mostly at the poor and vulnerable individuals, families and groups for sustenance during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.
“I decided on cash donation in cognizance of the precautionary measures for the containment of the pandemic and for beneficiaries to address their specific needs on their own during the lockdown. And from the pictorial and video evidences I am seeing on the social media I am satisfy that the palliative is achieving its goal on targeted persons, families and group without any controversy” he stated.
Senator Adeola said the ongoing disbursement which enters its 5th day is being implemented by a Six–member Committee in each of the 10 LGAs and 18 LCDAs of Lagos West with replication at the ward levels adding that beneficiaries cut across individuals, families and groups like market women associations and League of Imams with sums ranging from N2,500 for individuals and graduating upwards from N5000 to N250,000 for families and groups based on need.
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