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The Bauchi senator, has maintained his position on Monday that N3.7tn could not be accounted for in the 2024 budget.
Responding to reports that there were plans to suspend him, he noted that he was ready to bear the brunt of his statement even if the punishment that came with it was to get him suspended.
“I am not afraid of suspension by the Senate. I stand by what I said: N3.7tn is 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 N25tn was traced to projects and N3.7tn was not traced to any project,” he said.
At a press briefing on Monday, Ningi insisted that N3.7tn was inserted into the 2024 budget.
He, however, stated that he was misquoted, stressing that he never mentioned that President Bola Tinubu was running two budgets.
He further stated that he spoke in the interview as a lawmaker and not on behalf of the Northern Senators’ Forum.
At a press briefing on Monday, Ningi insisted that N3.7tn was inserted into the 2024 budget.
He, however, stated that he was misquoted, stressing that he never mentioned that President Bola Tinubu was running two budgets.
He further stated that he spoke in the interview as a lawmaker and not on behalf of the Northern Senators’ Forum.
Ningi had in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Service) on Saturday, alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year was N25tn, while the one being implemented by the Presidency was N28.7tn.
In the interview, he was quoted to have said, “For the first time in Nigerian history, today we are operating two different budgets. One budget was approved by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu and the one was implemented by the Presidency.
The one approved by us is N25tn while the one being operated by the Federal Government is N28.7tn
“Apparently, we discovered N3tn was inserted into the budgets for projects without locations.
This is the highest budget padding that happened in Nigerian history under Senator Akpabio’s watch.”
The Bauchi senator was further quoted to have said, “We resolved as the peoples’ representatives to see President Tinubu on this issue, with facts and figures, to ask him if he is aware of this embarrassment or not, then from there we will take action.
“Let Nigerians be patient with us. This is a national issue; it affects all Nigerians irrespective of party, tribe or religion.”
But during a press conference on Monday, Ningi further clarifies that he never said that the President was running two budgets, rather there was N3.7tn in the 2024 budget yet to be accounted for.
He said, “At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing two budgets. There was no time; at no time did I say Bola Tinubu was biased against the North. The Hausa version is there. At no time did I say Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing a N25tn budget.
“I said we have established beyond reasonable doubt that about N25tn so far has a nexus in the budget. That means that there is money, there is a project and then there is location. But we have yet to ascertain N3.7tn of that budget. We have established the N3tn of that budget; we have not established its location and the place.”
The Bauchi Central senator insisted that the powers to appropriate reside with the National Assembly and not the President, so it would be ignorant of him to say that the President was running a separate budget.
Ningi said, “What the President proposed to the Senate are proposals. What the Senate passes is appropriation. There is no way I will talk about N25tn and N28tn. The President has no powers for appropriation.
“It is even a misnomer for the executive to tell the National Assembly members, we are bringing a budget and don’t touch it; it is a misnomer.
“The constitution is clear on who has the power for appropriation. I couldn’t have said what they had suggested. There is no way a President will implement a budget that is not passed by the National assembly.”
He explained further, “But I said going forward, the budget evaluation is ongoing. And I said lastly, the intention of the northern senators as regards budgetary allocation was to meet the Senate President with our findings and subsequently meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with our findings.
“So if one is questioning our desire to relate with Bola Tinubu, how will I say that the findings of the Northern Senators Forum will go to the senate president and then to the President and Commander-in-Chief?”
Ningi consistently mentioned N3tn at the press conference, when asked to clarify the money with no projects. He said, “N28.7tn was passed as the 2024 budget, N25tn was allocated for, so the money without allocation is N3.7tn.”
