The Senate has given a hint of a possible reprieve for Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi), who was handed a three months suspension by his colleagues for alleging that the Upper Chamber “padded“ the 2024 Budget to the tune of N3.7 trillion.
This amount represents more than 10 per cent of the N28.78 trillion budget passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, gave this hint in a media parley, in Abuja, on Monday.
The Senate Spokesman used the opportunity to state that the suspension of Senator Ningi was a decision taken by 108 out of the 109 Senators whose integrity was subjected to public redicue.
Adaramodu said, “ Yes, there was an infraction occasioned by the actions of our respected colleague, Senator Abdul Ningi which made the Senate in an open public session, where he was given the opportunity to defend himself and for senators to talk on it, debated on it, then at the end of the day it was found that an infraction had really occurred.
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“And 109 senators except Senator Ningi now decided that Senator Ningi would be given a light disciplinary declaration which gave him a three month suspension from parliamentary activities.
“So, it is only that 108 senators that took that action that can call Senator Ningi back.
“Yes, like I said, we have been on plenary break for about four weeks. So, when we resume tomorrow, as the case may be, he’s our colleague, if he makes a plea, then the senators will now look at it and then we take it on the merit of it.
“When we were not in the chamber, there have been so many insinuations, they have been a report that a letter has been written by the counsel to Senator Ningi compelling the Senate President to recall Senator Ningi within seven days.
Vanguard