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![[OPINION] Ningi’s allegation vs integrity of the Senate - Sunday Onyemaechi Eze](/media/k2/items/cache/125d1f8d90758877dbd62d8702e5f5f4_XL.jpg)
A new padding allegation has reared its ugly head in the 10th Senate. Senator Abdul Ningi, leader of the Northern Senators Forum had accused his colleagues of padding the 2024 budget to the tune of 3.7trn. He revealed that the original budget passed amounted to 25trn but what the president assented to was N28.7trn. The senator who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District laid the charge against his colleagues on a British Broadcasting Hausa Service interview. Now, the Senate is in the eye of the storm - a trying moment indeed. The already battered image and integrity status of the red chamber is worsened by this sordid episode.
Responding to Ningi's allegation, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the president on Information and Strategy, stated in a press statement that, “following the false claims made by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government is operating two versions of the 2024 budget, we consider it appropriate to inform Nigerians that there is no truth whatsoever in the allegation. Contrary to the strange view expressed by Senator Ningi, there was no way the Senate could have debated and passed a N25 trillion budget that was not presented to the National Assembly. It is concerning that a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can employ such primordial antics to fuel divisive rhetoric at a time well-meaning Nigerians are joining hands with President Tinubu to raise the spirit of national cohesion, unity and inclusive politics.”
Ningi equally addressed the security challenges facing the North in the course of the interview among others. “There is nowhere in the South where someone will be abducted and spend seven days in custody of the abductors. Look at Katsina, Zamfara, and Benue. I am even afraid that one day we will wake up and see that states like Zamfara are been taken away from the country. It is possible going by what is happening," he asserted.
Reacting to the security issues raised by Ningi, Ajuri Ngelale, the President's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, averred that, “the recent kidnappings happening all over the country are part of a plan by certain regional groups to try and bring down President Bola Tinubu's government. Across the north, we understand that some of the sub-regional geopolitical forces that are currently at play are actively conspiring against the stability of Nigeria.”
What is up Ningi’s sleeves? Is he a patriot championing the course of his people or acting the script of some invisible hands? Ningi is alone in this struggle. Expectedly, he was handed down three months suspension. Many of his colleagues have abandoned him to bear his cross alone. Senators from the 19 states in the North which he leads at the National Assembly have disassociated themselves from his claims. They are beneficiaries of the low hanging bad fruit which the padded budget bears. So, they cannot identify with any act capable of bringing to lime light the filth in the Senate. Before his suspension, I stand by what I said, Ningi insists
As if that was not enough, another angle to the corrupt tendencies in the Senate was exposed by Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe representing Cross River North Senatorial District who accused his senior colleagues of collecting the sum of N500m each for constituency projects. You may wish to know that, padding is a synonym for criminal tinkering or insertion of non-existing or duplication of projects in the budget for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of a few with billions allocated to such projects.
As a former member, House of Representatives and a high ranking member of the Senate, Ningi is not a green horn in legislative business. Therefore, the allegation made during the interview would have been best raised as a matter of urgent national importance at the floor of the senate. There were chances that he may be overruled or the plenary forced into close door session to hide the embarrassment but his colleagues and Nigerians would have heard his honest views from the right podium. His action may not also change the figures contained in the document already assented to by the president but citizens are in the know of the sleaze.
Allegations of padding the budget and other corrupt practices are not new in the National Assembly. In 2016, Hon. Abdulmumini Jibrin, the former Chairman House Committee on Appropriation in the 8th House and current member representing Kiru/Bebeji Constituency, Kano State had accused the then Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers of the lower legislative chamber of padding the 2016 budget to the tune of over N40bn. He granted series of press interviews and reported the matter to the relevant security agencies but he was ignored. He was suspended for 180 days and barred from holding positions of responsibility till the end of the 8th Assembly. It is sad and unbelievable that, crass behaviour in the National Assembly is still a subject of discussion even in 2024.
The greatest undoing of the Nigerian state is that leadership has fallen into wrong hands. In the same budget under review, the sum of N212bn was approved for 1,150 street lights. N82.5bn also approved for drilling of 427 boreholes. Simple arithmetic shows that one single street light costs the sum of N184, 347,826.08 while drilling a single borehole costs N193, 208.430.91. Other questionable sub-heads are 170 ICT projects put at the sum of N82.5bn and empowerment of traditional rulers pegged at N7.61bn. With the set of political hyenas on the saddle, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than Nigeria to move forward. The selective allocation of fund meant for the entire Nigerian project to individuals in and outside government without due process is uncalled for. This, unfortunately is even happening when many Nigerians hardly eat three square meal a day.
National Assembly members are seen as rabid dogs which ate the bone tied to their necks. And Nigerians have every reason to believe they are so. Since 1999, the implementation of national budget and the expected outcomes are primarily a reflection of beautiful pictures and videos shown in the media. The benefits are yet reflective of what is on ground. Budget is a legal document containing the expected incomes and expenditures covering projects government embarks on every fiscal year. However, the indendment of the budget to serve the needs of the people is thwarted year in year out by powerful individuals who chose personal pleasure over national development. This has led to the propensity of untold hardship in the country.
No legislative year ends without news of one corrupt scandal or the other. The Senate leaderships of David Mark, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Ahmed Lawan were either involved in padding or addition of questionable sub-heads. The trend continues as a norm because nobody has paid the price of his wrong doing. The National Assembly to a large extent is a cult of greedy political group posing as leaders but whose personal interests overrides the aspirations of those they represent.