Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Gregory Obi, has urged the Senate to provide clarity on the assertion made by Senator Abdul Ningi regarding an additional N3.7 trillion purportedly added to the 2024 budget. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Obi emphasized that the suspension of Ningi does not adequately address the significant concerns raised by the allegation.
Obi further articulated that the alleged padding of N3 trillion in the 2024 budget necessitates a comprehensive explanation to enlighten Nigerians about the country’s fiscal management practices.
Senator Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), faced a three-month suspension following a rigorous session in the red chamber on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. This disciplinary action stemmed from earlier remarks made by Ningi during an interview, where he asserted the existence of two versions of the 2024 budget, suggesting bias against the North in the N28.7 trillion budget approved and enacted by President Bola Tinubu.
Responding to these developments, Obi emphasized the imperative of utilizing every penny of Nigeria’s public funds for the betterment of the populace. He highlighted that the alleged N3.7 trillion surpasses the combined national budget allocations for health and education, critical components of the human development index.
Obi stated, “The controversy surrounding the purported N3 trillion added to the 2024 budget, raised by a Senator, continues as the Senate’s decision to suspend the whistleblower has not addressed essential issues arising from the accusation. The Senator maintains his stance on the allegation. Additionally, fresh accusations have emerged concerning the indiscriminate and unbalanced allocation of constituency projects by the Senate leadership. Budgit, a civil society group, has also echoed the Senator’s concerns, alleging a lack of detailed project allocations for approximately N3.7 trillion in the 2024 Appropriation Act. The suspension of the involved Senator by the Senate has not resolved the matter. They owe the Nigerian public a clear explanation regarding the various claims and counterclaims, including those from the executive arm, in order to provide transparency and enable effective monitoring of constituency project implementation by the public.”
Background
Earlier on Tuesday, the Senate suspended Senator Abdul Ningi for three months for his allegations regarding the padding of the 2024 budget with N3 trillion. The upper chamber also stipulated that if Ningi submits an apology letter, the Senate leadership would decide whether to lift the suspension. Ningi, in an interview with BBC Hausa, had asserted the existence of two versions of the 2024 budget and criticized the allocation bias against the North in the N28.7 trillion budget passed by President Bola Tinubu. Despite pushback from many Senators and the Presidency, Ningi clarified that he did not claim the existence of two budgets but maintained that only N25 trillion of the budget was allocated to specific projects, leaving N3.7 trillion without designated projects.
