Ripples over N3.7trn ‘budget padding’ as camps emerge in Senate

By Haruna Salami

The last has not been heard over the allegation of N3.7 trillion in 2024 budget without nexus to projects and location.

Although the Senate has taken a decisive action by suspending Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) who alleged that N3.7 trillion was just floating without projects and location, the matter has refused to die.

The upper chamber of the Nigerian legislature explained that what Ningi referred to were allocations to agencies of government such as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), etc that are on first line charge.

However, in the course of debating the motion to suspend Ningi, the Senate was turned into a rowdy session as more disturbing revelations came out.

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Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe (Cross River North) revealed that some senior senators got N500 million for constituency projects, while he got far less.

The video of Jarigbe’s revelation is still trending, making Nigerians who are under serious economic stress more angry.

Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Leader tried unsuccessfully to appeal to Nigerians when he said that the government still has up to 12 months to implement 2024 budget and that they will see solar street lights, boreholes, etc.

The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has already called for the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio’s resignation. This call was outrightly rejected by Akpabio’s party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).

BudgIT, a Nigerian civic organisation that applies technology for citizen engagement with institutional improvement to facilitate societal change, threw more light on the alleged N3 trillion 2024 budget padding.

Co-founder of BudgIT, Seun Onigbinde speaking on Arise TV a few days ago said whatever the presidency brought as budget proposal, the National Assembly can alter it because NASS has the “power of appropriation”, adding that whatever Ningi said may be they “politicised the way he said it”.

He said it has been the normal practice to add to the budget; that they should forgive Ningi, recall him and put the matter behind them.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the APC, Garus Gololo has threatened to sue the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on what he termed “illegal suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi”.

According to him, the constituents of Bauchi Central senatorial district will not take the suspension lightly as it will deny them representation, adding that the will head to court.

In another development, Northern Youth & Students Orgnanisstion have given a 7 day ultimatum to the Senate to reverse Ningi’s suspension or risk a heavy protest to occupy the National Assembly.

The Coalition also condemned in strong terms what it described as the “unlawful suspension of Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi by the Nigerian Senate”. The Coalition therefore stated that “this unilateral action, lacking due process and a fair hearing, is deemed autocratic and threatens the integrity of our democracy.”

Fortunately, the Senate while suspending Ningi, left a window for early recall of the ranking senator.

The window for Ningi’s early return was a caveat in the motion for his 3 months suspension that said if Ningi writes a letter of apology and shows remorse, the Senate may recall him from suspension before the expiration of the 3 months.

The suspension of Ningi who was the chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum and his subsequent resignation of his chairmanship position has heightened the gulf between the Northern senators and their Southern counterparts.

As soon as Ningi resigned as chairman of NSF on Tuesday 12th March, the Southern Senators’ Forum, which has been dormant since the beginning of the 10th Senate was revived the next day with complete executive members.

By Thursday, a day after SSF’s resuscitation, NSF again held a meeting and elected Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua (Katsina Central) as chairman.

Although the two camps have resolved to work for the progress of their respective regions and the country at large, events of the next days and months will tell if they mean what they have said.