Senator Abdul Ningi said there is no way to track down projects totaling N3.7 trillion included in the 2024 Appropriations Act.
The Northern Senators’ Forum Chairman, Senator Abdul Ningi, said in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service that the National Assembly discussed and approved a budget of N25 trillion for 2024 rather than the N28.7 trillion that the federal government is now implementing.
The senator also said that the Tinubu administration’s continuing budget implementation does not fairly represent all regions of the nation.
Ningi had stated that the forum will discuss it with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Goodwill Akpabio.
Senator Ningi’s assertion was deemed “false and there is no truth whatsoever in the allegation,” according to a statement released on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
Onanuga said: “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. We don’t expect a ranking Senator not to pay due attention to details before making wild claims.
“It is also important to let Nigerians know that the budget that President Tinubu signed into law on January 1, 2024 as passed by the National Assembly was N28.7 Trillion. The National Assembly, in its wisdom, increased the amount proposed by the Executive by N1.2 trillion.”
But speaking with journalists at the senate on Monday, Ningi stood his ground, saying he was prepared for actions to be taken against him.
“I am not afraid of suspension by the Senate. I stand by what I said: N3.7 trillion not traced to any project in the 2024 Budget. I spoke for myself and not on behalf of the Northern Senator Forum. I never said the federal government is operating with two budgets. I only said N25 trillion was traced to projects and N3.7 trillion was not traced to any project.” [CONTINUE READING HERE]
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