Drama In Senate As Senators Trade Words Over Ningi’s Budget Padding Claim

There was mild drama on Tuesday, March 12, at the commencement of the plenary session at the Red Chamber.

Senators 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, Olamileken Adeola (Ogun West), who was visibly angry, stormed into the chamber saying “No closed door, let’s do it open.”

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.”

Senator Adeola read the transcribed version of Senator Ningi’s BBC Hausa Interview and called on the Senate to immediately take action as he is guilty of breach of privilege.

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 give Ningi the opportunity to defend himself.

Ningi was also seen carrying a bunch of heavy documents, dropping them on his table and shouting “give me the opportunity to defend myself.”.

Responding to this, Akpabio said: “We give you respect as a ranking Senator, but if you stop talking and give Senator Ningi the opportunity to jump up and start talking, we won’t allow that. This is not BBC Hausa.”

The National Assembly led by the Appropriation Committee had passed an appropriation of N22.7tn for the 2024 fiscal year.

Reacting on the floor of the senate, Ningi on Tuesday denied saying the 2024 budget was padded.

At the Senate open session, Ningi described 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 Party (PDP) senator told his colleagues.

“Let me concur to about 80 per cent of the translation read out by Senator Yayi. I think they have done a fair job, except 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 issued a statement of 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.”