A federal lawmaker representing Cross River North , Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe has exposed how “some so-called senior senators” in the national assembly of got N500 million each from the 2024 budget.
The Herald reports that Senator Jarigbe made the allegation while speaking during a plenary session on Tuesday in the Red Chamber in Abuja in defence of Senator Abdul Ningi who had been under fire for allegedly accusing the national assembly of padding the 2024 budget
The latest allegation threw the upper chamber into commotion as the lawmaker’s microphone was quickly turned off, seemingly preventing him from making further accusations.
Ningi had raised the alarm of N3 trillion Budget Padding in the N28.7trillion 2024 Appropriation Act and that the budget passed by the National Assembly for 2024 fiscal year is N25trillion while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7trillion.
Reacting to the development, the Cross River lawmaker said all senators are guilty of such practice, alleging that some senior senators received N500 million each from the 2024 appropriation bill.
“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.
Watch Moment Sen. Jarigbe Accused ‘Senior’ Senators Of Collecting N500 Million Each From 2024 Budget
Senior senator received N500 million each for non-existent projects from the 2024 Budget, I am a ranking Senator I didn’t get anything. No Senator has a right to accuse Senator Ningi — Senator Jarigbe has said in shocking revelation pic.twitter.com/Wm9e5lXJrk
— JoshuaACO (@joshuachinonso3) March 12, 2024
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio tried to restore calmness on the floor after senator’s mic was muted amid his speech.
The senators ultimately voted by voice vote to suspend Ningi for three months.
Although the “nays” seemed to be louder against the suspension motion, the senate president ruled that the “ayes” won the vote.
It was difficult to ascertain whether the majority of senators truly voted for the suspension of their colleague from Bauchi State since the National Assembly has failed for several years to adopt electronic voting that records the votes of individual lawmakers.
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