On Tuesday, the Red Chamber experienced a mild drama before the commencement of the plenary at about 11 am when the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen Olamileken Adeola (Ogun West) stormed into the chamber.
Sen Adeola who was visibly angry in a high tone kept saying, “No closed door, let’s do it open.”
Senator Abdul Ningi had on Monday indicted the National Assembly for padding the 2024 budget with a whooping sum of N3tn.
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Senator Ningi on Monday in a Press Conference told a journalist that he never said that the president was running two budgets but that the was an N3.7tn 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 the N25tn budget.
“I said we have established beyond reasonable doubt that N25tn so far has nexus in the budget.
“That means that there is money, there is a project and then there is location. But we are yet to ascertain N3tn of that budget.
“We have established the N3tn of that budget, we have not established its location and the place.”
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.”
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The National Assembly led by the Appropriation Committee had passed an appropriation of N22.7tn for the 2024 fiscal year.
Sen Adeola had on Sunday initially called for a Press Conference but postponed it stating that the issue would be dealt with on the floor.
He further explained that his initial plan to address the issue of alleged budget padding had been withdrawn to the Senate to tackle the issue through internal legislative mechanisms.
Adeola who spoke to journalists said since the allegation of budget padding was made by a serving Senator who participated in the consideration and passage of the budget, the best place to react was in the Senate Chamber on Tuesday.
Senator Adeola said, “As you people can see, many Senators are here with me across the six geo-political zones to react to what a senator said at the weekend on alleged two versions of the 2024 budget but after realising that there are laid down procedures and processes to follow in dealing with such a matter involving an insider, we have decided, to shift the venue of reaction to the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, after which, journalists would be briefed adequately.
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