By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
A Senator has said that many members of the higher Legislator took N500m each from the 2024 budget.
The People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) Senator representing Cross-River North, Jarigbe Agom made the shocking revelation while speaking on the floor of the house on Tuesday exposing the crass irresponsibility and institutional crime Nigerian political leadership represent.
His claims are not new. Many Nigerians see members of the National Assembly as crooks who exploited the system through spineless corruption to emerge as the same people expected to ensure law and order in Nigeria, a country sliding into shameful ignominy to the shock of the international community.
The PDP lawmaker said many in the Senate received N500 million each from the 2024 Budget.
There have been long standing allegations that lawmakers take a lot of kickback to pass the budget into law.
The Senator made this known while speaking during the plenary over Senator Ningi’s N3.7trn budget padding allegation.
The National House of Assembly was in total turmoil after the statement made by Senator Jerigbe Agom spoke on Tueaday.
The Senator who said no single member of the house has the right to accuse Senator Ningi.
He revealed that other senators benefited from the 2024 budget by getting N500m each.
He also said, “I am a ranking senator, I didn’t get anything”
He spoke further “We are going back and forth on this issue and coming up with issues of the budget and individual issues concerning what came to our various constituencies.”
According to him, if Senators want to go into all those issues, all of them are culpable.
“Some so-called Senior Senators here got N500m each,” he stated. His speech was met by stone silence.
However, the Senate on Tuesday during a plenary session suspended Senator Abdul Ningi over allegation of N3.7trillion budget padding.
Ningi had accused the Senate of padding the 2024 appropriation bill to the tune of N3.7 trillion.
But the Presidency faulted his claims.
He spoke in an interview with BBC on Monday.
Senator Ningi is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Population and represents the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Bauchi Central.
The Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, moved for the suspension of Senator Ningi said the matter should be appropriately handled.
Some other senators prayed Ningi’s suspension be reduced to three months. The majority supported his suspension.