Alleged N3.7 Budget Padding: Instead Of You To Apologize, You Are Claiming To Have Proof – Akpabio Attacks Ningi At Plenary

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has demanded an apology from Bauchi Central Senator, Abdul Ningi over claims of N3.7 trillion budget padding.

Ningi had alleged that projects worth N3.7 trillion in the 2024 Appropriation Act are not traceable.

The senator claimed that the National Assembly debated and passed N25 trillion as the 2024 budget, not the N28.7 trillion that the Federal Government is implementing.

He made the allegation while speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service.

Reacting to Ningi’s accusation at the resumed plenary of the senate on Tuesday, Akpabio challenged his colleague for denting the senate’s image and demanded an apology.

Akpabio said, “I want Nigerians to know what Mr President presented to us in a joint meeting at the end of November 2023 for consideration was N27.5 trillion, so at no time did the President present N25 trillion.

“If there was any addition to the budget, it was N1.2 trillion.

“This is not the speech I expected; I expected a speech of somebody saying I was sorry for being misquoted; the misinterpretation was this.

“But you went back to Arise TV yesterday night to justify your position that you have documents, even now in front of this Senate you claimed to have documents and they are with you.

“No senators or Nigerians know. At the same time, Nigerians are bashing the Senate; most Nigerians will never come back to respect this Senate in the future. The image of this chambers have been totally damaged and we wanted you to repair it with your speech.

“Instead of that, you claimed to have more documents to prove what you are saying.”