House speaker Femi Gbajabiamila denies taking 300 guests to Dubai for mum's birthday
- Femi Gbajabiamila has tackled a media report accusing him of squandering public funds on his mother's 90th birthday
- The lawmaker described the reports by Sahara Reporters as "categorically false" adding that no lawmaker or politician graced the event
- The House speaker confirmed he was truly in Dubai to celebrate his mother but the birthday bash was strictly for family members and childhood friends
Femi Gbajabiamilaa, speaker of the House of Representatives, has dismissed media reports accusing him of diverting the public funds to sponsor 300 guests to Dubai for his mother Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila's 90th birthday.
The lawmaker refuted the claim in a press statement released on Tuesday, March 3, by his special adviser on media and publicity Lanre Lasisi.
An online publication Sahara Reporters had claimed that Gbajabiamila organised a massive birthday bash for his mother in the United Arab Emirates which was attended by the creme-la-creme of the society.
The publication also claimed the Lagos lawmaker spent approximately 'N68,796,000' to convey all the invited guests to the oil-rich country apart from '$292,800 (N105,408,000)' marked out for the guests' accommodation 'in Conrad Hilton Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.'
Source: Twitter
But in a reaction, Gbajabiamila described the report as 'categorically false', adding that no public funds were appropriated or expended.
Gbajabiamila confirmed that he was truly in Dubai for the birthday of his mother but with just a few childhood friends and family members.
"The speaker, his family and a few friends were in Dubai to celebrate the 90th birthday anniversary of Alhaja Lateefat Olufunke Gbajabiamila, the speaker's mother.
"For the records, this event was strictly for family members and a few childhood friends for which no public funds were appropriated or expended," part of the statement read.
Gbajabiamila denied the claimed by Sahara Reporters that politicians and lawmakers also graced the event.
"Indeed not a single politician or a legislator was present at the event."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari has told members of the National Assembly that the public perception about them is negative.
According to the president, Nigerians saw the lawmakers as people who got too much money for doing little work.
Buhari who was represented by the spokesman of the federal government and minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the statement at the launch of a magazine by the leadership of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, February 19.
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Source: Legit.ng
