The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has faulted the Senate for suspending the Senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Senator Abdul Ningi over his allegation of budget padding, with a call on the senate to act with more circumspection and sensitivity in processing criticism of its operations.
The forum expressed support
The Bauchi senator was suspended from the Senate for three months following his allegation that the 2024 budget is padded with N3.7 trillion not attached to any specific project, and that the budget was skewed against the North.
Reacting to the development in a statement through its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the ACF said the Senate was too hasty to have arrived at suspending Ningi and therefore urged the National Assembly to carry out a thorough investigation of such allegations in the future.
While the forum observed that Ningi ‘s allegation has since been denied by the Senate as lacking in veracity, it however lamented that the interests of many Northern communities are at stake.
According to ACF, the process of suspending Ningi appeared nimbly rushed, with concerns looking more on the messenger rather than his message.
“ACF acknowledges the 10TH Senate’s constitutional privilege to determine how it operates or conduct its affairs. However, ACF expects that exercise of the privilege will always be hinged, strictly and transparently, on relevant provisions in the Constitution relating to the principles of due process and fair hearing. This is critical for a body empowered to make laws for the country and to exercise oversight functions over the operations of the executive arm of Government.
“ACF notes that the whole saga hinged on the rather weighty allegation by weighty allegation earlier made by Senator Ningi, euphemistically called “budget padding”. Senator Ningi, and we must say others, had alleged that as much as the sum of N3.7 trillion is not rather egregiously attached to any specific project as it ought to, under the 2024 Budget of the Federation passed for implementation”.
