Alleged budget padding: Bauchi group echos PDP’s call, tells Akpabio to step down for independent probe

All may not have been heard about the ongoing impasse at the Senate over allegation of padding of the 2024 budget made by Sen Abdul Ahmad Ningi.

This is as a group under the aegis of Amalgamation of Bauchi State Concerned Groups called on the Senate President, Sen Godswill Akpabio to as a matter of urgency, step aside and allow an independent investigation into the allegations.

This is in consonance with similar call made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently, also asking the Sen Akpabio, to step aside and allow for an independent investigation into the N3.7trn 2024 budget padding allegation.

But the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) responded to the call by the PDP, insisting that there was no justification for asking Akpabio to resign.

He described as shocking the fact that the PDP leadership could not comprehend what transpired at Tuesday’s plenary where the allegations were debated and Senator Abdul Ningi, who was given the ample opportunity to defend himself and prove the budget padding allegations was suspended after he failed to substantiate his claims in the full glare of the public.

However, the Bauchi group which made its call on Tuesday during a press conference held at the Conference Hall of the Bauchi NUJ Press Center, described the suspension of Senator Ningi as, “unlawful and undemocratic.”

It also demanded that the Senate immediately withdraw the suspension and tender an unreserved apology to the senator and to the people of Bauchi Central Senatorial District whom he represents.

The group further demanded an order for an investigation into the allegation of N500 million given to some selected ranking senators adding that the 2024 budget be reviewed and all anomalies therein be corrected with immediate effect.

According to the Chairman of the Amalgamation, Umar Sa’id Maigamo, the purpose of the press conference was to address all Nigerians on the decision by the Senate over the suspension of Ningi, saying that, “We consider this decision as premeditated, hasty, unlawful and undemocratic on several grounds.”

According to him, “You may wish to recall that Senator Abdul Ningi in an attempt to exercise his legislative and constitutional right granted an interview to the BBC Hausa Service where he raised pertinent issues regarding the 2024 budget. In the said Interview, the senator revealed that there were some anomalies in the budget where he specifically stated that the sum of N3.7 tnilion could not be traced to any projects or location in the 2024 budget. Senator Ningi’s assertion was corroborated by several professional groups including Budgit Foundation, a renowned civil society organization promoting accountability and transpiercing in public spending in Nigeria.”

“However, in a rare display of Injustice, disdain for the rule of law end democratic tenets, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio at the plenary held on 12 March, 2024 announced the suspension of Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi for 3 months,” he stated.

READ ALSO:AFC condemns Ningi’s suspension over budget padding allegation

He added that this followed a motion moved by Senator Solomon Glamiletan Adense representing Ogun West, who alleged that his privilege as a sermitor of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had been breached by the assertion of Sen Ningi conceming the 2024 budget instead of giving Senator Sibiul Ningi fair hearing or in the allermative order for forensic analysis of the eritire budget, the Senate went ahead to execute its premeditated action.

According to him, “We view this action of the Senate as an attempt not only to conceal the truth but to prevent the senator from exercising his legislative duties and constitutional rights.

“On this nate, we wish to draw the attention of all Nigerians, on the diversionary antics by the leadership of the Senate to cover up the mess by turning the issue into North and South dichotomy,” he stressed.

Maigamo said that, “Specifically, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (Senate Majority Leader), representing Ondo Central, stood up on the floor of the Nigerian Senate to proclaim that he was addressing the same Senate as a Southern Senator, alleging that there was a Northem plot to sabotage and remove Sen Akpadio for no reason other than that he is from the South.”

He said that, “This shows that Senator Bamidele is a poor student of history. This is because several Senate Presidents of Southern extraction have been fully supported by Northerners.”

He pointed out that, “A quick reflection at history revealed that since independence, the North has been supporting the emergence of Senate Presidents from the South as follows.
Dennis Osadebey 1960-1963; Nwafor Orizu 1963-1966; Joseph Wayas 1979-1983; Evans Enwerem 1999; Chuba Okadigbo 1999-2000; Anyım Pius Anyim, 2000-2003; Adolphus Wabara 2003-2005; Ken Nnamani 2005-2007 and Godswill Akpabio 2023-date.

“On the contrary, Senator Abdul Ningi, being a patriotic, experienced and high ranking Legislator than Bamidele and his likes, neither addressed himself as a Northern Senator nor linked the N3.7 trillion to any section of the country.

“In addition, we wish to draw the attention of all Nigerians on the allegation made by Senator Agom Jarigbe, representing Cross River North in the plenary that some ranking senators received the sum of 500 million naira each excluding himself but was prevented from speaking further by deliberately turning off his microphone. The allegation was ignored by the Presiding Officer,” he added.

The group however commended Senator Ningi for “his courage, doggedness and patriotism by exposing the inadequacies in the budget. Such inadequacies include a situation where some constituencies got allocations as high as 120 billion naira while others got less than a billion. Is it in line with the assertion of a senator that “not all animals are equal”?

It added that, “We wish to use this medium to condemn and reject the undemocratic suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi from the Senate.

“We would like to make it categorically clear that should the Senate insist on denying Senator Ningi a fair hearing, we, the good people of Bauchi State, particularly constituents from the Bauchi Central Senatorial District, will follow all lawful and democratic means to seek for redress,” Maigamo stressed.

He concluded saying,”It is imperative that our democracy must thrive on the principle of justice fairness and accountability. We must uphold such values and hold our elected officials accountable for their actions and inactions.”

By: Yemi Kanji

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