Alleged Budget Padding: Bauchi Gov Backs Senator Ningi

Our Editor

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has declared that the state government is behind Senator Abdul Ningi, the lawmaker who was handed a three-month suspension after his comment on N3.7 trillion not being traceable in the 2024 budget.

Ningi, representing Bauchi Central senatorial district at the upper chamber of the National Assembly, was suspended by the Senate, on Tuesday.

The Senator had subsequently resigned as Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF).

On the floor of the Senate, Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West), had said the Red Chamber had inaugurated a template for the speedy consideration and passage of the 2024 Money Bill as he initiated the motion on breach of privilege by the Bauchi senator.

Senator Adeola had come under orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege and issue of national importance against Ningi over his interview with the BBC Hausa.

Following Adeola’s motion on breach of privilege, a member of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Jimoh Ibrahim, first moved the motion for Ningi’s suspension for 12 months over allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly.

But, some of the senators moved for the amendment of the suspension for three months for the embattled federal lawmaker, which the senate ratified.

Speaking during the State Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Bauchi, on Wednesday, Mohammed said, “yesterday I was very sad the Senate suspended one of our best from Bauchi for saying the truth, for standing up to be the beacon of the truth.”

Mohammed, who is also the chairman PDP Governors’ Forum, said, “Equally I don’t know what we will do but we will discuss privately to see what we can do to support him because I support whatever he is doing and that is our best position especially if what he saying is the truth,”

Details later

(Daily Trust)