Victor EzejaSenate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, says if Senator Abdul Ningi had tendered an apology about his allegation of budget padding, he would not have been suspended.
Senator Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central was on Tuesday suspended for three months by the Senate following his allegation that over N3 trillion that is not tied to any specific project was added in the 2024 budget passed by the National Assembly.
President Bola Tinubu had in November 2023, presented a budget proposal of N27.5 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year but the National Assembly passed it with an increase of N1.2 trillion.
Ningi’s comment made during an interview with BBC Hausa Service raised dust across the country and beyond with many questioning the integrity of the Senate and the presidency in the budgeting process.
Senator Abba Moro, who appeared on Channels Television Sunrise Daily on Wednesday said Ningi didn’t honour the agreement he and other northern senators had after a meeting with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over the matter not to go to press until the matter was sorted out among them.
READ ALSO: Senate Suspends Ningi For 3 Months Over Budget Padding Allegation
“I object to the approach by Senator Ningi. As a Senate, we have an institutional procedure for addressing our concerns and unless it becomes absolutely necessary, you don’t have to recourse to the court of public opinion,” Senator Moro stated.
“We are senators and the budget in question was passed by the Senate and Senator Ningi was a member of the Appropriation Committee,” the lawmaker added.
The Minority Leader noted that issues about budget padding had been raised in the past but the latest one was unprecedented because it was the first time it was raised by a sitting senator who was obviously engaged in the process. He said it was done in a manner that impugned the integrity of the hallowed red chamber.
“I think it is not correct. As I said, there are procedures in the Senate for ventilating concerns and in this case, Senator Ningi, Senator Kawu Smaila with the northern senators went to seek an audience with the senate president and all of us across party lines attended that meeting,” the lawmaker stated.
“You can’t seek an audience with the senate leadership to express some concerns and at the same time grant interviews to preempt whatever reaction that the senate president would have. ”
Abba Moro, who represents Benue South insisted that Senator Ningi should have waited for the senate president’s response after the meeting before going to the press which triggered the controversy.
On the issue of lawmakers’ allowances, especially that of principal officers as raised by Senator Ningi during Tuesday’s plenary, Moro said allowances are not equal due to the responsibilities attached to their offices.
“Every senator knows that the senate president has more money allocated to his office because of the enormity of his responsibility across the country,” the minority leader explained.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
