Tuesday 12th March 2024 sees a fresh disclosure at the Senate plenary, which suggests that N500m each was obtained by ranking senators for their constituency project in the 2024 budget passed by the National Assembly. According to the rules guiding the National Assembly lawmakers who have spent a term at the upper chamber and the lower chamber is deemed as a ranking senator.
It was disclosed that a total amount of N 17bn was meant for 34 senate members who are on the list of ranking senators at the 10th Assembly in a shocking revelation on Tuesday.
Speaking at the floor of the house in a motion on breach of privilege moved by Senator Olamilakan Adeola [APC Ogun West] against Abdul Ningi {PDP, Bauchi Central} Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe {PDP, Cross-River North} alleged that senior senators got N500m each.
During the plenary on Tuesday Senator representing Bauchi Central under the People Democratic party Abdul Ningi was suspended for three months, he also resigned as the Chairman of the Northern Senator’s Forum.
Jarigbe’s revelation led to a rowdy session on the floor with some senators denying collecting such an amount.
He later clarified, himself in an interview on Arise TV that the money was for constituency projects, not for personal palliatives of the Senators.
In a motion of national importance against Senator Abdul Ningi of the j{PDP Bauchi Central}, the senator representing Ogun West came under orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege, due to Ningi’s assertion in an interview with the BBC {Hausa Services}.
Ningi, in the BBC interview on Friday, alleged that N3.7tn was not tied to specific projects in the 2024 budget.
Also, at a press conference on Monday, the senator insisted on the allegation, adding that he was not afraid of suspension.
likewise, the contribution to the debate by Senator Jarigbe stated that the missing N3.7tn as accused by Ningi had been clarified under the Government Owned Enterprises and first line charge.
He said, “I thought this issue should have ended when the chairman of the Committee on Appropriation explained that the N3.7tn was under GOEs and the first line charge.
“That explains everything. We are going back and forth on this issue and coming up with the issue of budget and individual issues concerning what comes into our various constituencies.
“If we want to go into those issues, all of us are culpable. Some senators here—the so-called senior senators—got N500m each. I am a ranking senator, but I didn’t get it. Did I go to the press? Most of you here got it.”
However, when given another chance to speak, he clarified that it was Ningi who told him that some senators got N500m.
Jarigbe said, “This is an important clarification. I was speaking when the microphone went off. I was told by Ningi that some ranking senators got N500m. Ningi came to me and said that there were discrepancies in the budget and I told him that let’s go to the Senate President.
He further explained that the ”Senator representing Ogun West has cleared the air on the N3trn, so there is no padding anywhere. Senator Ningi told me that he got N500m worth of projects in the budget. I said Senator Ningi shouldn’t be the one speaking about certain things.’
In a contrary opinion Senator Opeyemi Bamidele {APC, EKiti Central} stated that Although the senators got N500m, it was for constituency projects.
“I was going through online and it’s trending that every senator got N500m here today and I am not going to deny anything. My appeal to Nigerians today is not about what was said here today because I am not going to deny that.
“But we have 12 months to implement this budget and see whether any of these senators here will not implement boreholes, enough solar street lights, road construction, training, and empowerment that will not be up to N500m.”
However, Bamidele accuses Ningi of a planned coup against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Describing his actions as tantamount to a civilian coup, saying the confrontation was not about the institution, personality, or the dichotomy of the north and south, it was about the national assembly rules.
“I am speaking as Bamidele, not as a Senate Leader. The last time a South-South person was ever allowed to become president was over 40 years ago. We have another peaceful Senate, but why is it always about Akpabio?”
Bamidele went ahead to state that “we must do this right. He (Ningi) said some of us got N100bn, why do we need an apology? If I have anything here, it is not money put in my pocket, they are for constituency projects. Let us do the right thing.”
However expressing his disappointment over the actions of Ningi and Kawu, Senator representing {Niger East, APC} Sani Musa said “Any discovery that I have not seen, to me it is not a discovery.
“Distinguished Senators Ningi and Kawu, I am not a second-class northerner. If there is anything that happens in the Northern Senators Forum, they do not inform me. If anybody says he has seen anything, provide the evidence.
“But when I saw the post from Senator Sumaila Kawu, I was disappointed. We will deal with the budget, but we have to also deal with our ethical standards in this Senate.”
