By Funso Alarape
Monday March 11, 2024
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As the fire ignited by the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi Central) that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government was operating two versions of the 2024 Appropriation Acts continues to rage, the PDP senator has again said that projects worth N3.7 trillion in the 2024 Appropriation Act are not traceable.
Just as a member of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) and chairman of the Senate Services Committee, Senator Sunday Karimi, on Monday, advised Senator Abdul Ningi to at least fear God and say the truth since he claimed he is not afraid of being suspendedadvisedover his recent comments.
Karimi gave the advice while responding to Ningi’s press conference in Abuja where he denied saying there were two budgets in operation but insisted that N3.7 trillion in the, 2024 budget was not tied to any item.
Similarly the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) on Monday while disowning their Chairman, Ningi, queued behind President Tinubu on the issue by saying that tAppropriationsdid not executive two separate 2024 Appropriation.
Ningi in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, claimed that the Northern Senators Forum had uncovered lopsidedness and padding of the 2024 budget to the tune of N3trillion.
He also claimed that the Forum would soon confront Senate President Godswill Akpabio with the findings of experts it had engaged to scrutinize the 2024 budget and would meet President Bola Tinubu on the issues.
However, Ningi at a press conference told Senate Correspondents that the views he expressed during his interview were his personal opinion and not advised by Senators Forum.
Karimi
Karimi gave the advice while responding to Ningi’s press conference in Abuja where he denied saying there were two budgets in operation but insisted that N3.7trillion in the 2024 budget was not tied to any item.
Challenging Ningi to own up to his misinformation, Senator Karimi said the Bauchi senator spoke on behalf of the Northern Senators Forum and not in his capacity.
Karimi said: “I advise Senator Ningi to at least fear God if he is not afraid of suspension. He spoke for the NSF and not for himself even though nobody authorized him in the NSF to lie against the Senate.”
Karimi maintained that Senator Ningi was “Up to mischief because when they met the Senate President, Akpabio requested that they should bring the report so that he would set up a committee to find out if there was anything like that.
“We went to the Senate President as members of the NSF, but since he is on a mission of self-destruct, Senator Ningi decided to go to the media instead of bringing the report to the Senate President to set up a committee to authenticate the veracity of the claims.”
Speaking further, Senator Karimi chided Ningi saying, “As a former principal officer, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives, is Senator Ningi saying he is ignorant of the fact that arrangement of items on the first line charges are not usually lumped together with general items in the budget?
“I must say that Senator Ningi is just trying to engage in red-herring and sow the seed of institutional anarchy. As a ranking lawmaker, he should know that the organization of first-line charge items is not lined up on the budget.
“A new legislator could have been forgiven for this invidious tar-brushing but a ranking senator cannot claim ignorance of the organization of budget items.”
He also challenged Senator Ningi to disclose the source of the N30 million paid to the consultant who did the shoddy job for him.
According to Karimi, “No Northern Senator contributed any money to pay any consultant, so where did Senator Ningi get the N30 million he paid the consultant? Senator Ningi should tell Nigerians the source of the N30 million he paid to the consultants who have not even delivered on his consultancy since he is talking about a transparent agency.”
The Northern Senators Forum has come out say that the view expressed by Ningi on the BBC Hausa Service on the 2024 budget was his personal opinion.
The statement was signed by Senators Aminu Iyal Abass (Adamawa) and Ibrahim Bomoi (Yobe state) for Northeast; Senators Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (Katsina) and Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna) for Northwest; and Senators Jibrin Isah (Kogi), Diket Plang (Plateau) and Saliu Mustapha (Kwara) for North Central zone.
The statement reads: “We, the undersigned on behalf of the Senators from the 19 Northern States and the FCT, under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum (NSF), hereby state that Senator Ahmed Abdul Ningi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bauchi Central Senatorial District, who also happens to be the chairman of our forum, was on his own in the claims he made on the BBC Hausa Service on the 2024 budget.
“As such, the view he expressed was his personal opinion, sentiment and unfortunately skewed, incorrect and misleading.
“That there was never a time where we held a meeting and mandated Senator Ningi to address the press on the said matter.
“That the budget was presented to the National Assembly during a joint session of the two chambers – Senate and House of Representatives – by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 29, 2023, in line with the requirement of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That both chambers of the National Assembly, diligently and meticulously debated, processed and passed the proposal of the President. And satisfied with it, the President assented to it.
“It iN27.5r that Mr President presented a budget of N27. 5 trillion to the National Assembly and the Assembly passed a budget of N28.7 trillion based on the need to make increases or decreases in the appropriations of the various MDAs which is in tandem with totive powers of the National Assembly in order to address critical projects and services across various sectors.
“Therefore, the statement made by Senator Ningi that the 2024 budget presented to the National Assembly by Mr President was the sum of N25 trillion was not correct and that should not be taken as the position of the Northern Senators Forum.
“That to the best of our knowledge there was no budget padding, whatsoever that was done to the 2024 budget. The assertion by Senator Ningi that certain things were done to the bill is his personal opinion. It is not the view of the generality of us, the Northern Senators.
“Hence, we strongly and collectively dissociate ourselves from his action which was grossly unparliamentary.
“That, we, the Northern Senators are solidly behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and we will continue to support him to succeed in addressing the challenges facing our country. Nigeria, at this particular moment, does not need ethnic sentiments but collaborations of all to bring prosperity to our beloved country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We will continue to work with our brothers and sisters from the southern part of the country to move our country forward for the benefit of all and sundry.”
Presidency
Recall that the Presidency in a State Hose Press Statement on Sunday entitled
THE FACTS ABOUT THE 2024 BUDGET denied
operating two versions of the 2024 budget.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy in the press statement dismissed the claims by Ningi.
Onanuga said, “Following the false claims made by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government is operating two versions of the 2024 budget, we consider it appropriate to inform Nigerians that there is no truth whatsoever in the allegation.
“Acting under the banner of Northern Senators Forum, Senator Ningi, falsely claimed in an interview he granted BBC Hausa Service, that the National Assembly debated and passed N25 Trillion as the 2024 budget and not the N28.7 Trillion that is being implemented by the Federal Government.
“To begin with, President Tinubu on November 29, 2023, presented a budget of N27.5 Trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly made up of N9.92 Trillion recurrent expenditure, Debt Service of N8.25 Trillion, and Capital Expenditure of N8.7 Trillion.
“This was widely reported. He did not present a budget of N25 Trillion.
“Contrary to the strange view expressed by Senator Ningi, there was no way the Senate could have debated and passed an N25 Trillion budget that was not presented to the National Assembly.
“We don’t expect a ranking Senator not to pay due attention to details before making wild claims.
“It is also important to let Nigerians know that the budget that President Tinubu signed into law on January 1, 2024, as passed by the National Assembly was N28.7 Trillion.
“The National Assembly, in its wisdom, increased the amount proposed by the Executive by N1.2 Trillion.
“In the spirit of democracy which allows give and take, President Tinubu didn’t withhold his assent to the Appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly. We want to stress that if the budget figure was increased and made to be different from what the Executive proposed, it was the National Assembly that jacked it up in the exercise of its power of appropriation.
“On the uncharitable claim that the 2024 budget was anti-North, we found such a position as canvassed by Senator Ningi too far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status.
“President Tinubu is leading a government that is fair and equitable to every part and segment of Nigeria. In terms of funding, distribution of capital, and priority projects, the 2024 Appropriation Act was not skewed against any section of the country.
“The North as an integral part of the country is well covered in all areas, from security to agriculture, healthcare to education, and other important infrastructure such as roads, rail, dams, power, and irrigation projects to support all year-round agriculture.
“It is concerning that a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can employ such primordial antics to fuel divisive rhetoric at a time when well-meaning Nigerians are joining hands with President Tinubu to raise the spirit of national cohesion, unity, and inclusive politics.
“We want to use this opportunity to commend Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Publicity for setting the record straight. We also commend Senators Steve Sunday Karimi (Kogi), Titus Tartenger Zam (Benue), and Kaka Sheu (Borno) for their forthrightness and for coming out against the misrepresentation of facts by Senator Ningi.
“President Tinubu is a firm believer in the rule of law and constitutional democracy. As an avowed democrat, he will not engage and indulge in any unconstitutional action or act in any manner that assaults the Constitution of Nigeria by operating any budget outside the one approved by the National Assembly, which he dutifully signed into law.
“We want to state categorically that the only 2024 budget that is being implemented is the N28.7 Trillion budget passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President.
“Included in the budget are statutory transfers to the Judiciary, National Assembly, Tetfund, and others.”
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