The Red Chamber on Tuesday experienced a mild drama before the commencement of the plenary at about 11 am when the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen Olamileken Adeola (Ogun West) stormed into the chamber.
Sen Adeola who was visibly angry in a high tone kept saying, “No closed door, let’s do it open.”
Senator Abdul Ningi had on Monday indicted the National Assembly for padding the 2024 budget with a whooping sum of N3tn.
Senator Ningi on Monday in a Press Conference told a journalist that he never said that the president was running two budgets but that the was an N3.7tn yet to be accounted for.
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He said, “At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing two budgets.
“There was no time, at no time did I say Bola Tinubu was biased against the north. The Hausa version is there. At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing the N25tn budget.
“I said we have established beyond reasonable doubt that N25tn so far has nexus in the budget.
“That means that there is money, there is a project and then there is location. But we are yet to ascertain N3tn of that budget.
“We have established the N3tn of that budget, we have not established its location and the place.”
He explained further, “But I said going forward, the budget evaluation is ongoing. And I said lastly, the intention of the northern senators as regards budgetary allocation was to meet the Senate President with our findings and subsequently meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with our findings.
“So if one is questioning our desire to relate with Bola Tinubu, how will I say that the findings of the Northern Senators Forum will go to the Senate president and then to the president and commander-in-chief.”
The National Assembly led by the Appropriation Committee had passed an appropriation of N22.7tn for the 2024 fiscal year.
Sen Adeola had on Sunday initially called for a Press Conference but postponed it stating that the issue would be dealt with on the floor.
He further explained that his initial plan to address the issue of alleged budget padding had been withdrawn to the Senate to tackle the issue through internal legislative mechanisms.
Adeola who spoke to journalists said since the allegation of budget padding was made by a serving Senator who participated in the consideration and passage of the budget, the best place to react was in the Senate Chamber on Tuesday.
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Senator Adeola said, “As you people can see, many Senators are here with me across the six geo-political zones to react to what a senator said at the weekend on alleged two versions of the 2024 budget but after realising that there are laid down procedures and processes to follow in dealing with such a matter involving an insider, we have decided, to shift the venue of reaction to the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, after which, journalists would be briefed adequately.
How it all began
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
“Apparently, we discovered ₦3tn was inserted into the budgets for projects without locations. This is the highest budget padding that happened in Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch.”
The Bauchi senator was further quoted to have said, “We resolved as people Representatives to see President Tinubu on this issue, with facts and figures, to ask him if he is aware of this embarrassment or not, then from there we will take action.
“Let Nigerians be patient with us. This is a national issue; it affects all Nigerians in respective of party, tribe or religion.”
The Senate through its spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) had in a chat with our correspondent refuted the claim on Saturday night stating that there was no padding whatsoever in the budget.
Adaramodu said, “There is no budget padding as far as the Senate and the National Assembly are concerned.
“The national budget is a public document, which expressly states the expected revenue and the expenditure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio is not aware of any varied execution of the 2024 appropriation mandate, as approved.”
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Senator Adaramodu added, “The budget presentation and approval processes were made in the public glare, while the Presidential assent was also in a public ceremony.
“Any infractions would have been brought before the Senate, if any. The general public should be at rest that there is no budget padding anywhere and we are confident that the 2024 appropriation law shall be strictly executed, under strict legislative oversight.”
After Ningi addressed the press and openly alleged that there was a N3tn padding, different lawmakers came after him.
In a similar Press Conference, the Lawmaker representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim (APC), has said he would prosecute his colleague for misinforming the public and lying against the Senate.
He said, “What Ningi said is very embarrassing. We are the 10th Senate and will not just fold our hands.
“The Senate approved only one appropriation for 2024. We never approved two. The Presidency of Nigeria cannot operate with two budgets.
“Senator Ningi made this false information and it is unacceptable, it is causing uncomfortable pains to our integrity, the integrity of children and family as people read it all over the world and raising questions.”
He noted that he has personally taken it upon himself to request the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to as a matter of urgency charge Ningi for criminal misinformation and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
He said, “If the Senate will not move to do that in the next seven days. I will write a letter, and I have started doing that to the IGP to investigate circumstances leading to approval of two appropriations and if the IGP will not do it, I will ask for the order of mandamus to compel a public officer to do that.”
He added, “Senator Ningi must be charged to court. The charges must be preferred by the criminal justice department for the government and after thorough investigation.
“I am chairman of inter-parliamentary worldwide. I am confronted with how we do two budgets. The President is preparing to approach the World Bank for funds, they will ask if we are running two budgets.
“It is very important as a matter of urgency for the federal government to charge the Senator to court for criminal misinformation and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.”
Meanwhile, Senator Ibrahim, while reacting to the comments said that Sen Ningi had addressed the press and clarified the issue. The Ondo lawmaker, however, said that was not the proper route to apologise.
He said, “The rightful thing was to tender apology to the Senate and his colleges and not go to the press.
“Hausa language is a vast clear language, the clearest language in Nigeria is Hausa. There are 109 people in the Senate. you cannot come and say you were misquoted.
“The reason why I cannot accept that is because before he went to the BBC to grant that interview, he had first approached the Senate President with the same lie that two budgets were approved.”
Some senators under the Northern Senators Forum have dismissed claims made by Senator Ningi.
In a statement signed by a cross-section of lawmakers across different Northern zones said they were a part of the passing of the budget and would not discredit their collective effort.
The claims by Ningi seem to have torn in Northern caucus into halves.
The lawmakers said, “We, the undersigned on behalf of the Senators from the 19 Northern States and the FCT, under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum, 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.
“There was never a time where we held a meeting and mandated Senator Ningi to address the press on the said matter.”
They added, “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.
“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 is clear 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 the legislative 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.”
The Northern Senators stressed further, “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.
“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.”
Some of the senators who signed the statement are: Senator Jibrin Isah (APC, Kogi East), Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central), Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central) Senator Lawal Adamu Usman (APC, Kaduna Central), Senator Abdulaziz Yar’ Adua (PDP, Katsina Central), Senator Aminu Abass (PDP, Adamawa Central) Senator Ibrahim Bomai (APC, Yobe South).
The Punch