A national daily alleged the duo purchased the vehicles for their offices use.A statement by the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media Mr Ebomhiana Musa said the publication was an attempt to smear their image.

“We wish to state unequivocally that there is no iota of truth in the story, rather it was a figment of imagination of the writers.

“The story was nothing but a rehash of a story published by two Lagos based newspapers on November 2, 2008 over a year ago and the House, through Hon. Ita Enang, the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business on the same day addressed a press conference refuting the story as baseless.

“The rebuttal was promptly published and aired on Monday November 3, 2008. Interestingly, this same medium that allowed it pages to be used now for this story published the rebuttal as other media houses.

“We have therefore come to the conclusion that the story is a plot calculated to damage the image of Rt.Hon Bankole and pull him down from his exalted position. Or how else would one describe the action of this medium which pride itself as the oldest surviving privately owned newspapers allowing it pages to be utilized for such a plot.”