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…Says interest of many communities in North at stake
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has faulted the recent suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) from the Red Chamber for a period of three months following his outburst that the 2024 budget was padded with N3.7 trillion, saying that the suspension of the lawmaker was too hasty.
Senator Ningi had in an interview he granted BBC Hausa Service recently claimed that the National Assembly debated and passed N25 trillion as the 2024 budget and not the N28.7 Trillion that is being implemented by the Federal Government.
However, the ACF blamed the Senate for rushing into suspending Ningi who was the Chairman, Northern Senators Forum at the time he made the allegation, adding that a committee should have been set up to look into the matter.
In a statement by the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the Forum regretted that instead of the Senate to address the message passed by the messenger, it resorted to addressing the messenger.
ACF also expressed worry that by the suspension of Senator Ningi, interests of many communities in Northern Nigeria were at stake, noting that Bauchi Central will be without representation in the 10th Senate for the next three months.
The statement read in part: “The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has watched with keen interest the series of rather dramatic events, in the Nigerian 10th Senate, which culminated in the suspension of Distinguished Senator Abdul Ningi from the Red Chamber for a period of three months.
“Senator Ningi represents Bauchi Central in the 10th Senate and had served as leader of the Northern Caucus of Senators in the Senate until his resignation from same position in the wake of the saga.
“ACF acknowledges the 10th Senate’s constitutional privilege to determine how it operates or conduct its affairs.
“However, ACF expects that exercise of the privilege will always be hinged on the Senate doing so strictly and transparently on relevant and necessary provisions in the Constitution relating to the principles of due process and fair hearing.
“This is critical for a body empowered to make laws for the country and to exercise oversight functions over the operations of the executive arm of Government.
“ACF notes that the whole saga hinged on the rather weighty allegation earlier made by Senator Ningi, euphemistically called “budget padding”. Senator Ningi, and we must say others, had alleged that as much as the sum of N3.7 trillion is not rather egregiously attached to any specific projects as it ought to under the 2024 Budget of the Federation passed for implementation.
“ACF does not wish to engage in debate with the Senate. Still, on the whole, the process appeared nimbly rushed, with concerns looking more on the messenger rather than his message.
“ACF notes that the allegation has since been denied by the 10th Senate as lacking in veracity. However, the interests of many communities in Northern Nigeria are at stake. Rather than the route of a rushed suspension of Senator Ningi, ACF prefers a thorough investigation of the allegation by some statutory or ad hoc committee of the Senate.
“As things stand, in the eyes of the general public, the allegation of padding as well as those related to the inclusion of curious items that benefit specific communities of some Senators as “constituency projects”, stand unaddressed with all attendant negative implications for the Red Chamber and, vicariously, the Executive, regrettably, unfortunately and avoidably so for Nigeria’s nascent democracy.”
