Peter Gregory Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, has charged the Senate to provide clarity on the claim made by Senator Abdul Ningi that an extra N3.7 trillion was added to the 2024 budget.
Obi in a statement on Wednesday stated that the suspension of Ningi doesn’t resolve the significant issues related to the allegation.
Obi added that the alleged padding of N3 trillion in the 2024 budget demands a thorough explanation to enlighten Nigerians on the country’s fiscal management.
On Tuesday, Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), faced a three-month suspension following an intense session in the red chamber.
The federal lawmaker had earlier alleged in an interview that there are two versions of the 2024 budget operated by the Federal Government, claiming that the N28.7 trillion budget approved and enacted by President Bola Tinubu is biased against the North.
Reacting to the development, Obi declared that every penny of Nigeria’s public funds must be dedicated to the public welfare, noting that the purported N3.7 trillion exceeds the combined national budget for health and education, which are the most vital elements of the human development index.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Senate suspended the senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ningi, for three months for alleging that the 2024 budget was padded with N3 trillion.
