Senator Suspended Over Budget Padding Allegations Against Government
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Senator Abdul Ningi was suspended for 3 months over allegations he made about N3.7 trillion being padded into the 2024 budget without allocation details.
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Ningi alleged in an interview that the budget passed by the National Assembly was N25 trillion, while the one being implemented by the presidency is N28.7 trillion.
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Senator Olamilekan Adeola moved a motion to suspend Ningi for misleading the public about the budget through his interview comments.
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The additional N3 trillion was inserted during appropriations for judiciary, agriculture, infrastructure, education etc. based on increased oil revenue benchmark.
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Senate President GodsWill Akpabio said Ningi's allegations damaged the Senate's integrity and many Nigerians may never respect the chamber again.