TheCable

The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has disowned Abdul Ningi, its chairman and senator representing Bauchi central, over the allegation that the 2024 budget was padded.

At the weekend, Ningi said “huge damage” has been done to the north and the entire country through the budget.

The national assembly had passed a budget of 28.7 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year.

President Bola Tinubu had proposed N27.5 trillion, but the lawmakers jacked it up by N1.2 trillion.

In a statement on Monday, NSF said the allegation by Ningi is false, noting that there was never a time the forum mandated him to speak on the budget.

“The budget was presented to the national assembly during a joint session of the two chambers – Senate and House of Representatives – by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 29, 2023, in line with the requirement of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“That both chambers of the national assembly diligently and meticulously debated, processed and passed the proposal of the President. And satisfied with it, the President assented to it.

“It is clear that Mr President presented a budget of N27. 5 trillion to the National Assembly and the Assembly passed a budget of N28.7 trillion based on the need to make increases or decreases in the appropriations of the various MDAs which is in tandem with the legislative powers of the National Assembly in order to address critical projects and services across various sectors.

“Therefore, the statement made by Senator Ningi that the 2024 budget presented to the National Assembly by Mr President was the sum of N25 trillion was not correct and that should not be taken as the position of the Northern Senators Forum.

“That to the best of our knowledge there was no budget padding, whatsoever that was done to the 2024 budget.

“The assertion by Senator Ningi that certain things were done to the bill is his personal opinion. It is not the view of the generality of us, the northern senators.”

The members of the forum said they would continue to work with their colleagues in the southern part of the country to move Nigeria forward for the benefit of all.

The statement was signed by senators Aminu Abass, Ibrahim Bomai, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, Lawal Usman, Jibrin Isah, Diket Plang, and Saliu Mustapha.