Details of Why Senator Abdul Ningi Was Suspended have emerged, read below.
Senator Abdul Ningi has been suspended due to allegations of padding the budget by 3 trillion naira. The Nigerian Senate has suspended Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi central, over allegations of padding the budget by 3 trillion naira against the red chamber.
The Senate suspended him for three months after debating the matter on Tuesday, March 12.
A member of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Jimoh Ibrahim, initially moved a motion to suspend Ningi for 12 months due to allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly and the country.
Other lawmakers, like Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River South Senatorial District, and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari from Oyo North, proposed amendments to reduce the suspension to six and three months, respectively.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated that Ningi’s offense was “grave.” Most senators supported the suspension of Ningi for three months through a voice vote.
Meanwhile, the Senate clarified that there was no budget padding in the N28.77 trillion budget passed by the joint chambers of the National Assembly.
Senator Yemi Adaramodu, speaking on behalf of the Senate, responded to the allegations of budget padding amounting to over 3 trillion naira made by a serving senator. He emphasized that there was no padding as far as the Senate and the National Assembly were concerned.
However, Senator Abdul Ningi raised concerns about the 2024 budget, alleging discrepancies between the approved budget and the actual expenditure.
President Bola Tinubu presented a budget of N27.5 trillion for the 2024 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly in November 2023. However, lawmakers increased it to N28.7 trillion during passage.
Budget padding refers to the inflation of a budget beyond its original estimates by increasing the value of items or introducing new items, often for personal gain.
The implication of budget padding includes indiscipline in the budgeting process and corruption. It undermines transparency and accountability in government spending.
Allegations of budget padding have arisen in previous years, including during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
To address budget padding, it is suggested that the government sets up a forensic audit panel to examine the budget for the past five years. Transparency and accountability measures, such as publishing details of budget additions, are also recommended.