The chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), Senator Abdul Ningi, has said that he was quoted out of context over his claim of N3trillion 2024 budget padding.
According to Ningi, he spoke on different issues in the BBC Hausa Service interview, adding that as a ranking lawmaker, he was aware that the National Assembly cannot pass the same budgetary estimates the President presented.
Since the issue came up at weekend, LEADERSHIP examined the budget passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on Saturday, December 30, 2023, raising the appropriation bill from N27.5 trillion presented by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, to N28.7 trillion, which contradict the claim that N3trillion was surreptitiously added to the budget.
President Tinubu signed the N28.7trillion 2024 appropriation bill into law on Monday, January 1, 2024 at the presidential villa in Abuja.
But clarifying the issue on Monday, Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) said what the president presented was a proposal, adding that the president has no power of appropriation.
“I couldn’t have said what they have suggested,” Ningi said, adding that “what I said was that since we are investigating the budget, N3.7 trillion is yet to be found in the budget when it comes to money, project location and the budget we are looking at.”
He noted that their findings would be sent to the Senate President and after that they will meet with President Tinubu on the matter.
“I don’t speak for the Northern Senators Forum. The interview I had was in my personal capacity as a Senator and as an opposition Senator.
“Everything that you heard in my Hausa interview, I have it here and it’s different from the English version.
“Yesterday, I was confronted with a very harsh statement from Bayo Onanuga who was our very best when we were practising.
“So, I was never granted an interview in English. The Hausa interview is still with me. Those who carry my interview to Bayo, do that to tarnish my image.
“Bayo did not listen to my Hausa interview. There was no time when I said Tinubu is implementing two budgets.
“There is no time I say Tinubu is biased against the North. My Hausa interview is here,” Ningi insisted.
According to Ningi, “I was speaking on the state of the nation.
“I lamented how the North is at the receiving end. I mentioned Goodluck Jonathan for not dredging River Niger, and Buhari for not doing anything on Ajakuta steel company and other projects.
“I said I don’t blame Tinubu for what he is doing because northern leaders did not extract commitment from him on what he will do for the North.
“I said Tinubu does not understand the difficulty in running a complex country like Nigeria. On the issue of Niger (Republic), one of the reasons Northern Senators were speaking is because of the Dam and Niger have now decided to construct their own Dam. This is against agreement reached by General Yakubu Gowon in the 60s because we are going to supply them with power,” Ningi said, adding that the discussion didn’t centered on the budget but the issue of budget came in.
According to Ningi, he never said the budget was padded, adding that about N25 trillion so far has the locations of the money attached to it but that the N3.7 trillion projects in the budget could not be located yet.
“It means we’ve not established the location and the place where the N3.7 trillion is tied to and investigation is still ongoing,” Ningi said, adding that he was quoted out of context.
According to Ningi, he is not afraid of what will happen and doesn’t care if he is suspended.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, has called on the federal government to charge Senator Ningi to court for criminal misinformation.
According to Ibrahim, the Senate only approved one budget and not two, which the presidency signed.
“Ningi’s interview is causing a lot of problems even outside the country.
“I have decided, as the Senator representing the people of Ondo South, that if the Senate President did not do anything, I will write to the Police and ensure that Ningi is charged to court.
“Police should charge Ningi for criminal misinformation,” Ibrahim said, adding that if the Senate did not do anything, he will personally take up the matter because it may affect his career.
“I will write to the IGP to investigate the circumstances that led Ningi to say we are operating two different appropriations.
“Senator Ningi must be charged to court. I am a member of the appropriation committee, I am a member of the inter parliamentary union.
“It is very important for the federal government to charge Senator Ningi to court for the peace of the country,” Ibrahim said, adding that Ningi had met the Senate President before and raised the same issue.
“The best thing for him is to tender an apology,” Ibrahim said of Ningi, adding that if someone did what is not good, he or she should cover his or her face in shame and apologize.
“No one should frustrate our career because in years to come people will google what is happening now. Hausa language is not complicated.
“Senator Ningi should be charged for criminal negligence, misconduct and breach of peace,” Ibrahim said, insisting that if the Senate President did not do anything, “I will write to the IGP and Ningi must be charged to court.”
