By Funso Alarape
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
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Senator Abdul Ningi has been suspended by the Senate for 3 months following allegations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu operated two different 2024 Appropriation Acts.
During an Interview on BBC Hausa last week, the ranking senator who represents PDP Bauchi Central in the senate accused the Senate of Padding the 2024 appropriation bill to the tune of N3.6 Trillion.
Notwithstanding condemnation and bashes from his colleagues in the Red Chamber, Ningi maintained his position on Monday that N3.7tn could not be accounted for in the 2024 budget.
At the resuming of the house on Tuesday Senators fuming with anger exchanged words over the claim by Senator Abdul Ningi who had indicted the National Assembly for padding the 2024 budget with a whooping sum of N3tn.
At about 11 am, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Olamilekan Adeola (Ogun West), who was visibly angry, stormed into the chamber saying “No closed door, let’s do it open.”
Adeola raised a motion that there is an urgent need to address the false allegations by Ningi.
Senator Adeola read the transcribed version of Senator Ningi’s BBC Hausa Interview after Senate President, Godswill Akpabio called for a committee of the whole house.
Adeola called on the Senate to immediately take action as he claimed that Ningi is guilty of breach of privilege.
Senator Ningi had in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Service) on Saturday, alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year, is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.
Senator Ningi in the interview was quoted to have said, “For the first time in Nigerian history, today we are operating two different budgets. One budget was approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu and the one was implemented by the presidency.”
He stated: “The one approved by us is ₦25tn while the one operating by Federal Government is ₦28tn
“We discovered ₦3tn was inserted into the budgets for projects without locations. This is the highest budget padding that Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch.”
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim then moved for the suspension of Ningi for 12 months.
The session became heated with the majority of the Senators clamoring that it should be reduced to 3 months.
The majority of senators supported this move, including Senator Joel Onowakpa, who seconded the motion raised by Senator Olamilekan.
However, Senator Adamu Aliero pleaded with the Senate to allow Ningi to defend himself.
Ningi was also seen carrying a bunch of heavy documents, dropping them on his table, and shouting “Allow me to defend myself.”.
Responding to this, Akpabio said: “We give you respect as a ranking Senator, but if you stop talking and allow Senator Ningi to jump up and start talking, we won’t allow that. This is not BBC Hausa.”
Defending himself on the floor of the senate, Ningi on Tuesday denied saying the 2024 budget was padded, adding that comments attributed to him as fake.
“I have never said somebody was blinded. Secondly, I have never said the budget was padded,” the Peoples Democratic P, party (PDP) senator told his colleagues.
“Let me concur with about 80 percent of percent translation read out by Senator Yayi. I think they have done a fair job, except for on some issues they could not understand
“The beginning of this brouhaha started with this text. Senator Abdu Ningi is purported to be the author of this document. Let me for the avoidance of doubt, I have never stated this nature to anybody anywhere and anytime.
“I want members of this Senate to record it, this is a fake observation that was forwarded, I do not know the author of this.”
Senate’s Integrity
Meanwhile, Akpabio speaking during an open session he presided over said the upper chamber has been subjected to ridicule as Nigerians are bashing the parliament.
Akpabio faulted Ningi’s earlier interview for also granting a follow-up interview where he purportedly justified his initial claim of budget padding.
The senate president recalled that President Tinubu presented a budget proposal of N27.5 trillion to the National Assembly last November.
He also dismissed rumors that the president presented a budget estimate of N25 trillion, a move that has been clarified by the presidency also.
He said: “Nigerians are bashing the Senate. Many Nigerians will never in future come back to respect this chamber. The integrity of this chamber has been damaged and we wanted you to repair it with your speech.
“Instead of that, you said you have more documents to prove what you are saying. This thing is in the public glare. I have not received full details up to this moment. If you had given me full details, I would have been able to know what you know.
“So far, what you know is only known to you, it is not known to any other person. I don’t know how you rushed to the press carrying different versions. The social media is very fast. From Canada, the United States, everywhere, the story was budget padding by the Senate.
“I can quote a section of the Premium Times that said ‘this is the highest level of budget padding in Nigeria’s history where the budget passed a budget of N25 trillion but what we collect was N28 trillion.”
Recall that the Presidency through the Special Adviser to the President on Communication, Bayo Onanuga had denied Senator Ningi’s allegations.
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