Senators from the 19 Northern States have disassociated themselves from an earlier claim made by their chairman, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi South) that Nigeria runs two separate budgets.
The Senators are: Aliyu Iyal Abbas (Adamawa Central), Ibrahim Bono (Yobe), Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (Katsina) Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna) Jibrin Isa (Kogi), Diket Plang (Plateau) and Saliu Mustapha (Kwara).
These seven Senators followed a list of three others – Sunday Karimi, Titus Tartenger Zam and Kaka Shehu who earlier disassociated themselves from Ningi’s claims.
The senators: Abbas, Yar’Adua, Usman, Isa, Plang and Mustapha said on behalf of the Senators from the 19 Northern States and the FCT, Ningi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bauchi Central Senatorial District, who also happens to be the chairman of their forum didn’t speak on their behalf.
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“The view he expressed was his personal opinion, sentiment and unfortunately skewed, incorrect and misleading.
“That there was never a time where we held a meeting and mandated Senator Ningi to address the press on the said matter,” the Senators said.
The federal lawmakers added that the budget was presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the National Assembly during a joint session of the two chambers comprising the Senate and House of Representatives on November 29, 2023, in line with the requirement of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“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,” the lawmakers said.
The lawmakers further clarified that, to the best of their 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.
“Hence, we strongly and collectively dissociate ourselves from his action which was grossly unparliamentary.
“We, the Northern Senators, are solidly behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and we will continue to support him to succeed in addressing the challenges facing our country. Nigeria, at this particular moment, does not need ethnic sentiments but collaborations of all to bring prosperity to our beloved country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We will continue to work with our brothers and sisters from the southern part of the country to move our country forward for the benefit of all and sundry,” the group added.