Posted by Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central Senatorial District in Bauchi State purportedly claimed on Tuesday afternoon that the 2024 budget was inflated by N3 trillion and that there were two versions of the budget circulating, sparking a verbal confrontation amongst senators.
According to sources, Ningi made the assertion during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service over the weekend. However, on Monday, he rejected the reports, claiming that his speech in Hausa was misquoted.
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Nevertheless, Senator Adeola Olamilekan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriation, brought up the matter during Tuesday’s resumed plenary of the Senate and asked for an investigation into Ningi’s claim.
Senator Joel Onawakpo seconded Senator Olamilekan’s proposal, and then the senators got into a heated dispute about it.
But Senator Adamu Aliero of the Kebbi Central Senatorial District demanded a fair hearing from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urging him to give the guy at the center of the scandal a chance to explain his side of the story.
In response, Senator Aliero’s motion was interrupted by Senator Ningi, which angered Akpabio. “In my opinion, this is a very simple matter,” he stated. There is an opportunity for us to stabilize the National Assembly.