Senators, on Tuesday afternoon, exchanged words over a claim by a member of the Senate, Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District of Bauchi State, that the 2024 Budget was allegedly padded by N3trillion and that there were two versions of the budget in circulation.
Ningi, who was reported to have made the claim during a BBC Hausa Service interview at the weekend, however, denied the reports on Monday, saying he was quoted out of context because he spoke in Hausa language.
Currently, the Senate finds itself embroiled in a tumultuous session following Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe’s revelation that all ranking senators received the sum of N500 million.
This bombshell was dropped by Senator Jarigbe during Tuesday’s plenary session while discussing the motion on breach of privilege raised by Senator Olamilekan Adeola.
Senator Adeola invoked orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to bring forth a motion of privilege and address the issue of national importance regarding Senator Abdul Ningi’s recent interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Services).
In this interview, Senator Ningi alleged a disparity between the budget passed by the National Assembly and the one being implemented by the Presidency, stating, “For the first time in Nigerian history, today we are operating two different budgets.” He further claimed, “Apparently, we discovered ₦3tn was inserted into the budgets for projects without locations.”
Senator Jarigbe, seeking to provide clarity on the matter, highlighted that the missing N3.7 trillion, as alleged by Senator Abdul Ningi, had been accounted for under the Government Owned Enterprises and first line charge. He remarked, “I thought this issue should have ended when the chairman of Committee on Appropriation explained that the N3.7tn were under GOEs and the first line charge. That explains everything but if we want to express our grouse, I also have mine and we are all culpable.
After all, all the ranking senators got N500m each. I am a ranking senator and I didn’t get.”
The revelation about the alleged disbursement of funds to ranking senators swiftly threw the Senate into disarray.
However, at the resumed plenary of the Senate on Tuesday, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Adeola Olamilekan, raised the issue through a motion, calling for the investigation of the claim by Ningi.
Senator Olamilekan’s motion was seconded by Senator Joel Onawakpo, afterwhich Senators engaged in a heated debate to speak on the matter.
However, Senator Adamu Aliero representing Kebbi Central Senatorial District raised a point of order, asking the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to ensure fair hearing by allowing the man at the centre of the controversy to state his side of the story.
Responding, Akpabio, who was initially angred about Senator Ningi’s interjection of Senator Aliero’s motion, said: “For me I think this is a very straightforward matter. We have a situation to be the stabiliser of the National Assembly.”
Ningi was eventually recognised to speak on the issue.
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