JUST IN: Senate In Rowdy Session Over ‘Politicisation’ Of Buhari’s Social Intervention Programme

There was a rowdy session at the Senate on Wednesday when Abiodun Olujimi, the senator representing Ekiti South at the National Assembly, accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of politicising its social intervention programme.

Citing Orders 42 & 52, Olujimi, who is also the Senate Minorty Leader, brought “an urgent matter of the politicization of the Social Intervention Fund” before the Senate, saying beneficiaries were being asked to provide their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) number.

“The funds have been used for political reasons,” she said. “I have one such forms where your BVN number, PVC number, gender and account details must be written. I urge that an Ad-hoc Committee be set up to look into this issue.”

Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan stood up to counter Olujimi’s claims, but he was resisted by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers, who, led by Dino Melaye, the Kogi West senator, raised their voices.

The rowdiness lasted several minutes, with Lawan unable to speak until the situation mellowed.

Eventually, the Senate resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter.

It also mandated committee to investigate the implementation of Goodluck Jonathan’s Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) as well.