Budget Padding: Labour Party Senator Exposes Top Secret
The senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Tony Nwoye, has denied receiving N500 million allegedly given to some ‘senior’ senators from the alleged 2024 budget.
It was reported that the lawmaker representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Agom Jarigbe, revealed that some senior senators received N500 million each from the budget.
Senator Jarigbe made the revelation on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday amid controversy following allegations made by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, that the budget was fraudulently jacked up by N3.7 trillion.
Senator Ningi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Population, had in a recent interview with BBC Hausa claimed that the National Assembly passed a budget of N25 trillion for the 2024 fiscal appropriation year.
According to the lawmaker, the passed budget is in contrast with the N28.7 trillion being implemented by the federal government.
Following the allegation, many Nigerians have slammed the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio for the alleged fraud.
It was on Tuesday reported that the Senate had suspended Senator Ningi for three months over the budget padding allegation.
Amid the 2024 budget padding saga, an X platform user, @RealOlaudah asked Senator Nwoye, “@SenatorNwoye my senator I hope you didn’t soil your hands and that of our constituency with Godswill Akpabio’s N500 million?”
Responding to the question, the lawmaker said he did not receive any N500 million as a constituency project.
However, he said he was allocated N250 million for 2024 zonal intervention projects.
He added that he was a first-time senator and that the money had not been released to him.
He said, “I didn’t receive any 500 Million naira as a Constituency project for the good people of Anambra North Senatorial District. What was allocated to Me for the Zonal Intervention Project for 2024 is N250 Million naira. I am a first time Senator. And this sum has not been released.
“All I can tell our people is that we will not betray the trust. There is nothing we would have done at that moment. Ningi is a respected Senator.
“250 million naira were allocated to each Senator from the South East. Though some got over 250 Million. I am a first time and what I got is that amount.
“This has been there even before I went to the House of Representatives in 2015. This Zonal Intervention Project is to help in addressing immediate needs of our People. The money is noThe senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Tony Nwoye, has denied receiving N500 million allegedly given to some ‘senior’ senators from the alleged 2024 budget.
Ibom Focus had reported that the lawmaker representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Agom Jarigbe, revealed that some senior senators received N500 million each from the budget.
Senator Jarigbe made the revelation on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday amid controversy following allegations made by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, that the budget was fraudulently jacked up by N3.7 trillion.
Senator Ningi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Population, had in a recent interview with BBC Hausa claimed that the National Assembly passed a budget of N25 trillion for the 2024 fiscal appropriation year.
According to the lawmaker, the passed budget is in contrast with the N28.7 trillion being implemented by the federal government.
Following the allegation, many Nigerians have slammed the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio for the alleged fraud.
Ibom Focus on Tuesday reported that the Senate had suspended Senator Ningi for three months over the budget padding allegation.
Amid the 2024 budget padding saga, an X platform user, @RealOlaudah asked Senator Nwoye, “@SenatorNwoye my senator I hope you didn’t soil your hands and that of our constituency with Godswill Akpabio’s N500 million?”
Responding to the question, the lawmaker said he did not receive any N500 million as a constituency project.
However, he said he was allocated N250 million for 2024 zonal intervention projects.
He added that he was a first-time senator and that the money had not been released to him.
He said, “I didn’t receive any 500 Million naira as a Constituency project for the good people of Anambra North Senatorial District. What was allocated to Me for the Zonal Intervention Project for 2024 is N250 Million naira. I am a first time Senator. And this sum has not been released.
“All I can tell our people is that we will not betray the trust. There is nothing we would have done at that moment. Ningi is a respected Senator.
“250 million naira were allocated to each Senator from the South East. Though some got over 250 Million. I am a first time and what I got is that amount.
“This has been there even before I went to the House of Representatives in 2015. This Zonal Intervention Project is to help in addressing immediate needs of our People. The money is not given in cash to any senator. It is tied to projects.”t given in cash to any senator. It is tied to projects.”
