The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the National Assembly to launch an investigation into the approval of N500 million, purportedly by President Bola Tinubu, for the inauguration of a 37-man Tripartite Committee on the New National Minimum Wage.
The call for the probe comes in the wake of a leaked memo circulating on Thursday, allegedly revealing President Tinubu’s approval of N500 million out of a total N1 billion for the committee’s inauguration, as claimed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement on Friday.
Describing the approval as an epitome of financial recklessness, Ologunagba emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in government spending, particularly for routine activities such as committee inaugurations.
The PDP further criticized the timing of the alleged expenditure, deeming it provocative and unacceptable amid widespread food shortages and economic challenges faced by Nigerians.
In response to the PDP’s assertions, the Presidency called for an investigation into the leakage of classified documents, attributing the breach to “moles” within the civil service allegedly loyal to the opposition party. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, emphasized the need to weed out individuals compromising official secrets for political gains.
Meanwhile, another Presidency official defended the memo, portraying it as a routine request for funds to facilitate government operations.