The Senate has suspended the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, Abdul Ningi, for three months following the interview he granted to BBC Hausa in which he alleged that about N3.7 trillion was illegally inserted into the 2024 national budget.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South), who made additional prayers to Sen Solomon Olamilekan’s (Ogun West) motion, recommended that Senator Ningi be suspended for a period of 12 months without any privileges and should stay away from the National Assembly.
Jimoh also said that Sen Sulieman Kawu (Kano South) should be warned against posting information that distorts facts and that he should apologise.
Senator Ede Daminone (Delta Central), who said Ningi was given the opportunity to apologise but he did not, seconded the motion for Ningi to be suspended for 12 months.
But Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross Rivers South) asked that Ningi be suspended for six months, while Senator Buhari Abdulfatai suggested three months.
Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South) who seconded the motion said since what was reported was untrue, the suspension should be for three months, but that if Ningi writes an apology letter to the Senate, he should be recalled.
On his part, Sani Musa (Niger East) said Ningi should be suspended for three months, given time to write an apology letter and be recalled thereafter.
Ruling after a voice vote, Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled that Senator Ningi had been suspended for three months from the Senate.
Ningi, who was sighted moving out of the red chamber carrying his bulky documents, was under strictly escorted by the sergeant-at-arm.
Ningi had on Monday said he had been quoted out of context since he granted the interview in Hausa, but admitted that he engaged a consultant to review the budget and found out that about N3.7 trillion is not traceable to projects or locations.
Raising point of order 9, 10, 41,51 of the Senate rules, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, said as someone who was part of working on the budget, his privileges had been breached.
“One of the senators in this chamber granted an interview to BBC Hausa, where it was stated clearly that N3.7 trillion is not traceable,” Olamilekan said, apparently referring to Sen Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi Central).
When Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked for the motion to be put to the vote, lawmakers allowed Olamilekan to move his motion.
Olamilekan said he had a full transcript of the interview and the voice of the Senator Ningi before Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked for the reading of the transcribed version.
But the leader of the Senate, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, who came through orders 9 and 10, said in order 10 gives two instances under which a matter of privilege should be referred to a committee or taken in the committee of the whole.
Bamidele asked the Senate to move to a committee of the whole.
But Akpabio said Olamilekan should be allowed to take his motion, and Sen Neda Bernard Imasuen (LP Edo) seconded the motion of the Senate leader and they moved into the committee of the whole.
Akpabio noted that Olamilekan had notarised the transcription of the Hausa version of Ningi’s BBC Hausa interview, which was transcribed by Bashir Miyere.
Olamilekan, who gave facts of all the money allocated and locations, said Ningi was wrong and rely on facts.
He prayed the Senate to take appropriate action to avoid the spread of rumours that could lead to the breakdown of law and order.
Senator Joel Onowakpa (Delta South) seconded Olamilekan motion and said that Ningi’s statement that the budget was padded by N3.7 trillion was an attempt to incite the public against the government.
He noted that Suleiman Kawu (Kano South) had posted Ningi’s interview with derogatory comments, adding that a decisive action must be taken to preserve the integrity of the chamber.
