…As Jarigbe reveals how some ranking senators allegedly got N500 m each
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Senate was on ‘fire’ Tuesday, during a hearing on the revelation by the Chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum, Senator Abdul Ningi, that the Presidency padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion.
Another startling revelation was made by Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe (PDP, Cross-River North) that many of the ranking senators got the sum of N500 million each.
Senate Leader, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, had moved the motion on breach of privilege by Senator Ningi when the Cross River Senator made the shocking revelation.
Recall that shortly after Senator Ningi raised the alarm over the alleged budget padding, the Presidency, in a swift response, claimed it was the National Assembly that inserted N1.9 trillion into the budget.
The Presidency denied padding the budget but Senator Ningi insisted on his claims.
The Senate had also disowned Ningi, claiming that nobody padded the budget but the latest revelation by Senator Jarigbe has thrown the entire nation into confusion.
Senator Adeola had come under orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege and issue of National importance against Senator Abdul Ningi over his interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Services).
Ningi had, during the BBC interview, 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.
He 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.”
“The one approved by us is ₦25tn while the one operating by the 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.”
