There was drama on Tuesday as the Senate suspended Senator Abdul Ningi for three months over his false claims that projects worth N3.7trillion in the 2024 budget were not traceable.
On his part, Senator Kawu Sumaila (NNPP – Kano South) was warned to desist from spreading false information capable of destabilising the Senate.
The suspension of Ningi, who was the chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum and the warning handed to Sumaila (Spokesman of the NSF) followed the consideration and adoption of a motion on urgent national importance titled:
“Urgent need to address the false allegations against the Senate and the Presidency on the 2024 Appropriation Act by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central).
The motion was sponsored by Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC – Ogun West) and seconded by Senator Joel Onowakpo Thomas (PDP – Delta South).
After his suspension, Senator Ningi resigned as the NSF chairman in a letter addressed to the secretary of the forum, Senator Sadiq Suleiman (APC – Kwara North).
“I will like to resign my position as the Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum. This is of course necessitated by unfolding events in the National Assembly, the North and the Nation at large,” Ningi said in his letter.
Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South) also dismissed as false claims that some Senators had received N500million as palliatives.
The allegation was made by Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe during his contribution to the debate of the alleged N3.7trillion provision in the budget without traceable projects.
However, Adaramodu while briefing reporters said Jarigbe later recanted, stating the allegation was a product of hearsay.
“All of us are culpable. Some so called Senior Senators here got N500 million each from the 2024 Budget. I am a ranking Senator, I didn’t get anything. No Senator has a right to accuse Senator Ningi,” Jarigbe had said.
Adeola in his lead debate, said there was no N3.7trillion provision in the budget without projects.
He said the amount being referred to by Ningi were meant for statutory transfers to organs of the federal government placed on first line charge.
Adeola said: “In response to some unfounded, ignorant and patently false statements credited to Distinguished Senator Abdul Ningi, (PDP, Bauchi Central) the chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum, in some sections of the media that the 2024 Budget was padded to the tune of N3trillion and that the executive was implementing a different budget from what was passed by the National Assembly.
“While I do not want to believe that any senator that witnessed the rigourous scrutiny in limited time of the 2024 Appropriation Bill would make such unfounded and false statement of budget padding to the press without seeking necessary clarifications from relevant committees and authorities of the parliament, it is pertinent from me as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations to present the facts and dispel the spurious allegations and blatant misinformation of Nigerians contrived to distract and derail the effective implementation of the 2024 Appropriation Act for the good of Nigerians.
“For the records, the 2024 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was N27.55trillion and the National Assembly eventually passed an Appropriation Act of N28.77trillion, an increase of N1.2trillion.
“The increase which was assented to by the President came from the upward adjustment of benchmark of exchange rate from N750 -$1 to N800-$1 and increase in the GOE’s revenue.
“This increase was allocated to some critical sectors based on requests from the executive and the judiciary.
“There was no way the 2024 Budget could have been padded by the phantom N3trillion of Senator Ningi and his consultants.
“The Northern Senators represented by Senator Ningi apparently gave wrong and incomplete information to their ‘consultants’ for them to arrive at a national budget of N25 trillion instead of the passed N28.77trillion budget.
“If there were no ulterior motives by Senator Ningi and some aggrieved senators targeted at derailing the APC administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and creating bickering between the Executive and the Legislature, he would have sought for clarifications on the discrepancies noted by their consultants for more enlightenment on budgeting and parliamentary processes before rushing to the press with misinformation.
“It is now apparent that a ranking senator of Senator Ningi’s standing that should be conversant with the budgetary processes and nuances of the National Assembly, having served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate as a parliamentarian is completely ignorant of the process or is only being mischievously partisan against the administration of President Tinubu and the existing cordial and harmonious relationship between the executive and the legislature.
“For the records, the N25 trillion Senator Ningi and his ‘consultants’ presented as the budget (N25.45trillion approximately) being implemented by the Executive is the details of the budgets of all MDAs.
“It is unfortunate and regrettable that Senator Ningi and his consultants did not take into account that the budgets of some bodies are not captured in the details but in the summary of the Appropriation Act as passed.
“All appropriations for Statutory Transfers, Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) and TETFUND are only in the summary of the Act and not in the details.
“The total sums of these appropriations captured in the summary and not in details as it is constitutional and in line with our budgetary process is N3.32trillion.”
According to Adeola, the breakdown of the N3.32trillion is as follows: National Judicial Council – N341.6bn, National Assembly – N344.8bn, Public Complaints Commission – N14bn, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – N40bn, Government-Owned Enterprises (Recurrent) – N1.059trn, Tetfund (Recurrent) – N35bn, Government-Owned Enterprises (Capital) N820.9bn and Tetfund (Capital) – N665bn.
Adeola added: “A simple arithmetic by Senator Ningi and his ‘consultants’ of the MDAs’ details and the figures of Statutory Transfers, GOEs and TETFUND in the summary, would amount to exactly the figures of the passed 2024 Appropriation of N28.77 trillion.
“So, the Executive is implementing the 2024 Appropriation Act as passed by the National Assembly and not dual budgets that Senator Ningi is leading Nigeria public to believe.
“From this false figure of the 2024 Budget as N25 trillion, it is not surprising that a false claim of ‘the Senate President inserting projects worth N4 trillion in the 2024 budget’ without location ‘were discreetly inserted,’ could be made in the story.
“This is false and the Northern Senators are challenged to name such projects worth N4trillion without location if any of such exist.
“It is also ridiculous for the Northern Senators to allege that the 2024 Budget was lopsided “against the North and some parts of the South” in the story.
“It would have been helpful if evidences of such lopsidedness against the run of passing a national budget is provided.
“The National Assembly passed a national budget targeted at national development in tandem with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework that was earlier passed by the parliament.
“The budget as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives including the Northern Senators is being implemented as passed and any claim to the contrary is in the imagination of those who want to create national division for some ulterior motives yet to be ascertained.”
After moving the Motion, the Leader of the Senate moved motion that the Adeola’s motion be referred to the committee of the whole for deliberation.
This was seconded by the Minority Leader Abba Moro and approved by the Senate when the request was put to voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In their contributions, the Minorities Leader of the Senate, Abba Moro (PDP – Benue South) and his deputy, Senator Olarere Kamarudeen Oyewunmi, dismissed Ningi’s claims that the leadership of the minority parties was imposed by the leadership of the Senate.
Moro and Oyewunmi, said they were duly elected by their colleagues who duly signed their signatures to make them leaders.
Senator Adamu Aliero (PDP – Kebbi Central) raising a constitutional order, pleaded that Ningi be given fair hearing by allowing him to defend himself.
Ningi in his defence, said that 80 per cent of the translation of his interview with the BBC Hausa Service as read out on the floor was correct.
He also said that at no time did he say that the Senate passed N25trillion as 2024 budget or that the executing is implementing two sets of budgets.
Ningi said the findings of the consultants was only known to him and that he did not share it with members of the NSF.
He, however, insisted that projects worth N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget were not traceable according to findings by consultants he commissioned to scrutinize the budget.
He also alleged that he has five statutory aides like other senators but cannot say how many aides, the Senate President and his deputy, Barau Jibrin have.
He also claimed that some senatorial districts were allocated over N100bn while his own district has only N2billion.
Akpabio said that when Ningi met with him on the issue, he had demanded a copy of the report but was never given before the latter went to the press.
At this point there was rowdiness in the chamber with many Senators on their feet while others besieged the seat of the Senate President.
When the development became uncontrollable, the Senate President stood up and invoked relevant rules of the Senate which provides that all Senators must take take their seats and remain quiet when the Presiding Officer is on his feet to address the chamber.
He warned that he was also empowered to direct the Sergeant-At-Arms to walk out any Senators who may prove unruly.
At this point, the chamber became calm and the lawmakers resumed their debate.
On his part, Kawu said that he did not author the message concerning the alleged operation of two budgets by the executive and the issue of N3.7trillion padding.
He claimed he only posted it on the platform of the NSF for their information.
He further said that after posting the message, Senator Aminu Tambawal and Deputy Senate President Barau called him and said he should not grant media interview on the matter. He said he kept to the advice.
Rising on his feet, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, said for the first time he intends to speak as Senator representing Ekiti Central and a South lawmaker.
He said that the padding allegation against the Senate was a continuation of the struggle for his election as Presiding Officer in June last year.
He said while senators Ahmad Lawan and Tambuwal had declared that they have put the past behind, some northern senators are bent on removing Akpabio before the 10th Senate attains one year in office in June this year.
He added that what Ningi planned to do was tantamount to a civilian coup which has failed – using the the platform of the NSF.
Bamidele said: “We must never accept any apology from Senator Ningi. It is ridiculous to do so. He lied deliberately. Mr Senate President, you’re occupying that seat 40 years after a South South person occupied it.
“The last time a Southerner was there was during Obasanjo and they were being changed every time. It was only stable when it returned to the north. David Mark spent 8 years, Saraki completed his 4 years, Lawan spent his 4 years.
“Don’t be deceived, the losers of June 2023 Senate President election are still angry. Some have accepted but a few haven’t. They have plotted to remove you before June 2024.
“That is why you must not allow this deliberate mischief by Ningi to go away. He did it on purpose. He knew he was lying, he set the public against you, he will do it again. We must apply our sanction…..”
He called for punitive measures against Ningi to serve as a deterrent to others.
At this point, Senate President Akpabio put the following prayers in Adeola’s motion to voice vote.
They are: “Pursuant to Order 1(b) of the Senate Standing Order 2023 (as Amended) allow immediate deliberation of this matter and take appropriate action deemed fit in the overriding public interest and as a matter of urgent public importance to prevent break down of law and order;
“Take further necessary steps to correct the wrong impression in public domain of 2024 budget created by the BBC interview and other national media houses and social media platforms by Senator Abdul Ningi and amplified by Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu through his facebook account and other social media platforms; and
“Take any further decision as the senate deem fit and proper to safeguard the integrity of the 2024 budget which is pivotal to the revamping of our economy.”
The prayers were approved by the Senate.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim said he had an additional prayers and was recognized by Akpabio.
Ibrahim moved that Ningi be suspended for 12 months, without benefits and entitlement ans that the Senate should send a warning letter to Kawu to stop spreading fake news (wrong information).
Senator Ede Dafinone (Delta Central) supported the motion.
On his part, Senator Mohammed Monguno said the prayer should be amended so that the matter be referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics and petitions for further deliberation in line with relevant rules of the Senate.
Akpabio said that is not possible since Ningi’s infraction did not take place inside the senate.
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyoung said his suspension should be reduced to six months.
Senator Mpigi Barinada (Rivers South East) supported the motion that the suspension period be reduced to six months.
On his part, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai proposed three months suspension with opportunity for apology.
Senator Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South), proposed three months with a clause of recall the very next day after written apology.
Senator Sani Musa seconded Maidoki’s motion.
Senators approved that Ningi be suspended for three months when the motion was put to voice vote by Senate President Akpabio.
Ningi was observed clutching the many reports and documents he brought to the session and leaving the chamber immediately his suspension was pronounced by Akpabio.
Ningi’s letter of resignation as the NSF chairman was later circulated to the press through WhatsApp platforms.
