The senator representing Bauchi central, Mr Abdul Ningi yesterday dared the senate to suspend him over his claim that the 2024 budget was padded and that N3.7 trillion inserted into the appropriation act was not linked to any project.
Ningi had, in a BBC interview (Hausa Service) on Saturday, alleged that the budget passed by the national assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25 trillion, while the one being implemented by the presidency is N28.7 trillion.
“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.
“The one approved by us is N25 trillion while the one being operated by the federal government is N28.7 trillion,” he said in the interview.
Ningi alleged out of the total budget, the senate president, Mr Godswill Akpabio inserted projects worth N4 trillion into the budget.
“Apparently, we discovered N3 trillion 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,” he added.
Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, Ningi, who is the chairman, senate committee on population, said he was not afraid to go down, insisting that he stood by what he told the BBC interviewer that N3.7 trillion was not traced to any project in the 2024 budget.
“I said we have established beyond reasonable doubt that N25 trillion so far has nexus in the budget. That means that there is money, there is project, and then there is location.
“But we are yet to ascertain N3 trillion of that budget. We have established the N3 trillion of that budget; we have not established its location and the place.
“However, 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 Tinubu,” he said.
Ningi further said even if he was suspended, he would not see it as anything untoward adding that he was speaking for himself and not on behalf of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) which he chairs.
“Let Nigerians be patient with us. This is a national issue; it affects all Nigerians irrespective of party, tribe or religion.
“I have never acted as a regional person. And I have never spoken as a regional person but I’m proud to say I’m a very proud northerner.
“It wasn’t a budget matter, but a budget issue came. I believe in one God and I believe power is transient. I believe what we are doing is temporary. I’m not scared of whatever…I am not scared of any issue like suspension.
“If because I said what I would say, then I will be suspended, so be it. It will be an honour,” he said.
The Bauchi central lawmaker also denied that he said in the interview with the BBC that the president was running two budgets, rather there was N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget yet to be accounted for.
“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 a N25 trillion budget.
“I said we have established beyond reasonable doubt that about N25 trillion so far has a nexus in the budget. That means that there is money, there is a project and then there is location. But we have yet to ascertain N3.7 trillion of that budget. We have established the N3 trillion of that budget; we have not established its location and the place,” he said.
Meanwhile, senators of northern extraction have distanced themselves from Ningi’s claim.
The NSF said in a statement signed by lawmakers elected irrespective of party platform that Ningi was acting alone on his claim that the 2024 budget was padded.
“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, 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.”
“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.”
“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,” the forum said.
