Budget padding controversy, Ningi’s suspension, probe of N30 trillion CBN loan, change of leadership in senators groups, others top stories at Senate

Senate panel begins probe of N30trn CBN loan obtained by Buhari

The Senate began legislative activities last Monday with the inauguration of a nine-member ad hoc committee to interrogate the disbursement and usage of the 30 trillion Ways and Means loan obtained by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The panel will also probe intervention programmes implemented by the former president such as the Anchor Borrowers Programme, excess funding in the power sector, and monies given to manufacturers, banks and airline companies which contributed to the increase in the country’s debt profile.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, inaugurated the interrogation committee in the Senate complex, Abuja

After the inauguration, members of the committee held their first meeting which lasted for about one hour. The lawmakers rose from the meeting with an assurance that they would not be compromised.

Chairman of the Committee, Isah Jibrin, called on persons involved in the issue to be ready to appear before the lawmakers for questioning.

Mr Jibrin, the lawmaker representing Kogi East on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), urged the relevant authorities to make procurement documents available to the committee for proper scrutiny.

Ningi’s suspension

The Senate on Tuesday slammed a three-month suspension on Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) over his allegation that lawmakers padded the 2024 budget with N3 trillion.

Mr Ningi, who was at the time Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, had made an allegation three days earlier. Thus when the plenary opened on Tuesday, the first legislative sitting day, it was natural that the matter was going to take centre stage.

It did. After a lengthy debate that lasted for several hours, the Senate resolved to suspend the Bauchi senator.

“Senator Ningi is here suspended for three months from all activities relating to the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Mr Akpabio announced after the majority of the lawmakers supported the move during deliberation on the matter at the Committee of the Whole.

The senate president also issued a warning to Sumaila Kawu (NNPP, Kano) who was the spokesperson of NSF, to desist from spreading false allegations against the Senate.

Meanwhile, on Monday, a day before the plenary,  Mr Ningi’s fate appeared to have been sealed as some northern senators dissociated themselves from padding allegations.

The senators are Aminu Abass (PDP, Adamawa Central), Ibrahim Bomai (APC, Yobe South), Abdulaziz Yar’adua (APC, Katsina Central) and Lawal Usman (PDP, Kaduna Central).

Others are Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East), Diket Plang (APC, Plateau Central) and Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central).

Three of their colleagues, namely Sunday Karimi (Kogi), Titus Zam (Benue) and Kaka Sheu (Borno), also did.

N500m project for each ranking senator?

One revelation that emerged from the budget padding saga was made by Cross River North senator, Agom Jarigbe.

There was pandemonium in the Senate chamber when the PDP senator revealed that some ranking senators received N500 million projects in the 2024 budget for their constituencies.

Mr Jarigbe made the revelation during plenary while commenting on the allegation of budget padding made against the Senate by Mr Ningi.

Ranking senators are those who have spent more than one term of four years in the upper chamber.

Mr Jarigbe said a majority of the senators are guilty of the budget padding scandal because some of the senior senators got N500 million each from the budgetary allocation.

“If we want to go into this issue, all of us are culpable. Some senators here, so-called senior senators, got N500 million each. I am a ranking senator. I didn’t get. Did I go to the press? We don’t have to go into those issues,” he said.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, quickly muted Mr Jarigbe’s microphone apparently to prevent people from hearing the details of the N500 million.

The Senate erupted in a rowdy session for about 30 minutes before Mr Akpabio directed the senators to return to their various seats.

Meanwhile, the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, while addressing journalists after the plenary dismissed the issue of the provision of N500 million as constituency funds to senators, describing the allegation as a fairy tale.

This is the second time that the distribution of money to the senators will attract public attention.

Senate explains additional N3trn to the budget

Shortly after the suspension of Mr Ningi from legislative activities, Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, addressed the press and explained the reasons for the N3 trillion added to the 2024 budget.

Mr Adaramodu said the N3 trillion allegedly added to the 2024 budget was statutory transfers to first-line charge agencies of government not domiciled in the ministries.

“The N3 trillion is for statutory transfers of government agencies on the first lines charges,” Mr Adaramodu said.

He listed the agencies to include Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Public Complaints Commission, National Judicial Council, North East Development (NEDC), and Niger Delta Development Commission Commission (NDDC), among others.

The Senate spokesperson stressed that there was nothing like budget padding and that the false narrative on N3 trillion padding was a demonstration of the error of arithmetic and innocence of procedure by the protagonists of budget padding.

He said the 10th Senate needed to be treasured as a pillar of democracy and would only do what would promote national interest.

Senate Leader raises alarm over alleged impeachment plot against Akpabio

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, during the plenary on Tuesday, raised the alarm that some ‘losers’ of the senate presidency election conducted last June were plotting to impeach the senate president.

Mr Bamidele claimed that the ‘losers’ were plotting the impeachment because they were still angry about the fact that they lost the election.

The senate leader stated this while he was contributing to the motion to suspend Mr Ningi from legislative activities.

“We must never accept any apology from Senator Ningi. It is ridiculous to do so. He lied deliberately. Mr Senate President, you’re occupying that seat 40 years after a South-South person occupied it.

“The last time a Southerner was there was during Obasanjo and they were being changed every time. It was only stable when it returned to the North. David Mark spent 8 years, Saraki completed his four years, and Lawan spent his four years. Don’t be deceived, the losers of the June 2023 Senate presidential election are still angry.

“Some have accepted but a few haven’t. They have plotted to remove you before June 2024. That is why you must not allow this deliberate mischief by Ningi to go away. He did it on purpose. He knew he was lying, he set the public against you, he will do it again. We must apply our sanction” the senate leader said.

Tinubu replaces South-east nominee on CBN Board

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu asked the Senate to screen and confirm Ruby Onwudiwe as a member of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The president’s request was contained in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the plenary.

In the letter, Mr Tinubu noted that Mr Onwudiwe is a replacement for the former South-east nominee, Urum Eke, who declined his nomination due to his current engagement at the World Bank. 

Mr Eke, a consultant to the World Bank and native of Abia State, rejected his nomination as a member of the CBN board last month. 

President Tinubu nominated him and four others as members of the CBN board of directors.

While MrvEke was absent from the screening, the four other nominees, Robert Agbide, Ado Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Muslimat Aliu were present upon and they were subsequently confirmed.

President Tinubu, in his letter announcing the replacement, said his action is in compliance with the provision of section 10 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

Yar’adua leads northern senators

On Wednesday, members of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) appointed the Katsina Central senator  Abdulaziz Yar’adua, as their new chairman.

The forum also appointed Mohammed Monguno, the senator representing Borno North Senatorial District, as its Publicity Secretary.

The duo were appointed following the resignation of the suspended senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, as chairman of the forum.

Mr Monguno, a lawyer, replaced the senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Sumaila Kawu (NNPP, Kano South) as the forum’s spokesperson.

It is not clear why the forum replaced Mr Kawu with Mr Monguno but it may not be unconnected to the resolution of the Senate on Tuesday, issuing a warning to Mr Kawu to desist from spreading misinformation with a view to incite the public against the senate.

Messers Yar’adua and Monguno are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Southern senators get new chairman

On Wednesday, Adetokunbo Abiru (APC Lagos East) emerged as the are chairman, the Southern Senators’ Forum (SSF).

Mr Abiru took over from Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti Central), who had been the leader of the forum since the ninth Assembly.

Mr Abiru, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, emerged after a meeting of South-east, South-west and South-south senators.

Speaking at a news conference after his emergence, the senator said the SSF would partner with the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) “to move the country forward”.