EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Abdul Ningi, has refuted allegations that he accused the 2024 budget of being padded.
Earlier, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, Senator Ningi had asserted that the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget by N3.7 trillion.
Furthermore, Senator Ningi stated that the 2024 budget passed by the National Assembly was N25 trillion, while the one being implemented by the Presidency was N28.7 trillion.
However, during a press conference held in Abuja on Monday, the lawmaker clarified that his statement was not intended to imply the existence of two separate budgets managed by the President. Instead, he emphasized that the N3.7 trillion discrepancy remained unaccounted for.
Also, speaking during the Senate open session in Abuja on Tuesday, Ningi described comments attributed to him as fake.
He said, “I have never said somebody was blinded. Secondly, I have never said the budget was padded.
“Let me concur to about 80 per cent of the translation read out by Senator Yayi. I think they have done a fair job, except on some issues they could not understand.
“The beginning of this brouhaha started with this text. Senator Abdu Ningi is purported to be the author of this document. Let me for the avoidance of doubt, I have never issued a statement of this nature to anybody anywhere and anytime.
“I want members of this Senate to record it, this is a fake observation that was forwarded, I do not know the author of this.”
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