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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Abdul Ningi, has made a U-turn over his allegations that the 2024 budget was padded with N3 trillion.
Addressing Senate correspondents on Monday, the Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum said he is ready to carry his cross, even if it means suspension from the Red Chamber.
Ningi clarified that he never suggested that President Bola Tinubu is implementing two budgets or that he was biased against the North.
He added that he spoke as a Senator and not as Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum.
Ningi said that it has been established beyond doubt that N25 trillion was rightly allocated in the budget, using three parameters–money, project and location, but cannot ascertain the project location for the other N3 trillion.
“I am not afraid of suspension by the Senate. I stand by what I said, that N3.7 trillion could not be traced to any project in the 2024 budget.
“I spoke for myself and not on behalf of the Northern Senators Forum. And, I never said the Federal Government is operating two budgets.
“I only said N25 trillion was traced to projects and N3.7 trillion was not traced to any project,” he said.
Ibrahim: Ningi should be charged with criminal misinformation
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, has asked the Federal Government to charge Ningi to court for criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly and the country by extension.
Speaking with Senate correspondents on Monday, Ibrahim said it is not true that the country is operating two budgets as claimed by his colleague, Ningi.
He urged the Senate and the Federal Government to “as a matter of urgency, charge Senator Ningi for criminal misinformation, and conduct likely to breach the peace of the country.”
“If the Senate will not do that within the next seven days, I will write a letter to the Inspector General of Police to investigate the cricumstatnce leading to the approval of two 2024 Appropriation Acts and bring the culprits to book.
“It is not true that we have two Appropriations. Senator Ningi must be charged to court for conduct likely to cause breach of peace and criminal misinformation,” Ibrahim stated