A heated debate in the Senate over the allocation of funds for constituency projects erupted into chaos recently.
Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe from Cross River North claimed that while some senior senators received a hefty sum of N500 million, others, like himself, were allocated as little as N75 million.
This controversy arose following allegations by Senator Abdul Ningi, the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, who claimed that the 2024 budget had been inflated by N3 trillion. Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Ogun West, felt his privileges as a senator were violated and raised the issue for discussion.
Former senators, George Sekibo and Shehu Sani, expressed embarrassment over the public nature of the debate, suggesting that such matters should be handled privately and then referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee to avoid tarnishing the Senate’s reputation.
Ningi‘s claims about budget padding, made in an interview with the BBC, further fueled the dispute. He alleged that while the National Assembly approved a budget of N28.7 trillion, the Presidency was operating with N3 trillion more, totaling N28 trillion.
Adeola objected, stating that he participated in the budgeting process and felt personally affected by Ningi’s allegations. Ningi defended his statements, asserting that he had evidence to support his claims of budget irregularities.
The tension escalated when Jarigbe revealed that some “senior senators” received N500 million for constituency projects, while he only received N75 million, despite being a ranking senator.
After hours of debate, the Senate suspended Ningi for three months. However, the controversy continued as Ningi accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of undisclosed earnings and questioned the allocation of funds to different constituencies.
The Senate turmoil highlights concerns over transparency and accountability in government spending. As Nigerians await further developments, it is evident that addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining public trust and ensuring effective governance.
