The Senate has been thrown into a rowdy session and House of commotion as it began discussions on allegations raised by the former Senate Deputy leader and Chairman, Northern Senators Forum, NSF, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central.
Ningi raised the alarm about the N3 trillion budget padding in the N28.7 trillion 2024 Appropriation Act and that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25trillion while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7 trillion.
Trouble started on Tuesday when the chairman, of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, APC, Ogun West, raised a point of order, saying that he was one of those who prepared the 2024 budget and that, with what has transpired in the last three days, his privileges have been tampered with.
Senator Adeola, who came under Orders 9,10,41, and 51of the Senate Standing Orders 2022 as Amended, read out the transcription of the interview with the former Senate Deputy leader and Chairman, Northern Senators Forum, NSF, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central granted the BBC( Hausa Service) on Saturday last week.
According to Adeola, Ningi raised the alarm of N3 trillion in budget padding in the N28.7trillion 2024 Appropriation Act and that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25 trillion while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7 trillion.
The Senate was thrown into confusion when Ningi was asked to defend himself following a constitutional point raised by Senator Adamu Aliero, PDP, Kebbi Central, that Ningi be given a fair hearing.
In his remarks, Ningi opened up cans of worms and raised the fact that the Senate does not know how much the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill, was earning or the number of vehicles he has bought.
