No Fraud In Implementation Of My N50m Covid-19 Palliative – Senator Adeola

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The legislator representing Lagos West Senatorial District and Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Adeola, said his attention has been drawn to stories on some blogs and social media of purported fraud allegation on the disbursement of his N50 million donation as palliative for poor and vulnerable persons, families and groups during the COVID-19 lockdown in Lagos West.

The Senator, who said he will not be dragged into the blatant falsehood contained in the sponsored write-ups, 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 satisfied that the palliative is achieving its goal on targeted persons, families and group without any controversy” Adeola stated.

Senator Adeola said the ongoing disbursement which enters its 5^th day is being implemented by a 6 –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 graduated upward from N5000 to N250,000 for families and groups based on need.

Senator Adeola said he remains focused in discharging his duties as a senator with credible achievements for constituents including facilitation of skill acquisition training for over 4000 women and youth and 4 ICT Centers in 4 Secondary schools since the commencement of the 9^th Senate stressing however that his donation is his modest contribution in the fight against COVID-19 that is a global pandemic and not a political payback.