Some members of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) have dissociated themselves from the allegation of padding in the approved 2024 budget made by their chairperson, Abdul Ningi.
The senators expressed their position in a statement jointly signed on Monday.
The signatories are Aminu Abass (PDP, Adamawa Central), Ibrahim Bomai (APC, Yobe South), Abdulaziz Yar’adua (APC, Katsina Central) and Lawal Usman (PDP, Kaduna Central).
Others are Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East), Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) and Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central).
The seven senators claimed the statement was released on behalf of senators from 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory.
Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central and chairperson of the 58-member NSF, told BBC Hausa on Saturday that the members of the Forum sought the service of a private auditor and discovered irregularities in the budget.
He said two budgets were in operation and that one of them passed by the National Assembly was N25 trillion while the second one being implemented by the federal government was N28 trillion and therefore, had been padded with N3 trillion.
“For example, we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?” Mr Ningi told BBC Hausa.
PREMIUM TIMES also exclusively reported that the northern senators under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum (NSF) confronted the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on the issue and accused him of inserting projects worth N4 trillion in the 2024 budget.
Reacting to the allegation, the seven senators explained that Mr Ningi’s comment was his personal opinion and not the position of members of the Northern Senators Forum.
They insisted that there was no budget padding in the approved 2024 budget.
“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 senators.
“Hence, we strongly and collectively dissociate ourselves from his action which was grossly unparliamentary.
“That, we, the Northern Senators are solidly behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and we will continue to support him to succeed in addressing the challenges facing our country. Nigeria, at this particular moment, does not need ethnic sentiments but collaborations of all to bring prosperity to our beloved country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We will continue to work with our brothers and sisters from the southern part of the country to move our country forward for the benefit of all and sundry,” the statement reads.
Earlier on Sunday, three northern senators had dissociated themselves from Mr Ningi’s claim.
The Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, and the presidency, in separate statements, also debunked the claim of budget padding by the NSF chairperson.
PREMIUM TIMES
