‘Senators got N500m each’: Senate in rowdy session over budget padding

The Senate has been thrown into a rowdy session following a disclosure by Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe (PDP, Cross River North) that all ranking senators got the sum of N500 million in the 2024 budget.

Jarigbe said this during the debate of the motion on breach of privilege moved by Senator Olamilekan Adeola at the plenary in Abuja on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

Senator Adeola had come under orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege and issue of National importance against the senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ningi, over claims that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is operating two versions of the 2024 budget.

Ningi had said there was another budget different from what was passed on the floor of the National Assembly.

The senator, in an interview with BBC on Saturday, March 9, alleged that the 2024 budget passed by the National Assembly was inflated, saying what was passed by the lawmakers was N25 trillion and not N28 trillion.

‘Fear God if not suspension’: Senator slams colleague over alleged budget padding

“For example, it was said that there was a budget of N28 trillion but what was passed was N25 trillion. So there is N3 trillion on top,” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker declared.

The Presidency later debunked the allegation.

However, Senator Jarigbe, on Tuesday, said the allegation that N3.7 trillion was missing had been clarified under the Government Owned Enterprises and first line charge.

The lawmaker said: “I thought this issue should have ended when the chairman of Committee on Appropriation, explained that the N3.7 trillion were under GOEs and the first line charge.

“That explains everything but if we want to express our grouse, I also have mine and we are all culpable. After all, all the ranking senators got N500 million each. I am a ranking senator and I didn’t get.”

The Senate was however thrown into a rowdy session over the disclosure.

The Star