By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
A group under the auspices of the Arewa Advancement for Peace and Development Initiative, has described as injustice to Nigerians, the three-month suspension slammed on Senator Abdul Ningi (representing Bauchi Central) by the Senate, over his claim that the 2024 budget was padded with N3.7tn by the National Assembly.
The group condemned the suspension and demanded that the Senate lift the suspension and reinstate Senator Ningi, while the Executive arm of government should investigate the claim so that Nigerians can know the truth.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Alhaji Alhassan Sabo and Dr. Susan Ogbaji, the group’s Chairman and Secretary respectively, they said the allegation has exposed that the Executive arm of government is always blamed for the fault of others who are entrusted with leadership positions.
According to the statement, “We are here to voice out our displeasure over the recent events in the National Assembly, particularly the Senate Chamber, which should have been our symbol of pride, and the pillar of our hope as a nation, because it holds the representatives (voices) of the Nigerian people. But unfortunately, that is not the case.”
It said that the allegation raised by Senator Abdul Ningi has opened up a can of worms that did not go well with the leadership of the Senate, asking how did they get to where they are as a people, saying that they keep blaming the Executive for their woes, while they (representatives) are the real enemies of the Nigerian people.
The group asked how can over N3 trillion be padded into the national budget, and Nigerians are mute over such sensitive and national issues? saying that Nigerians are killing their economy, killing their future generations, killing their means of survival as a people.
As a group that is concerned about the peace and development of the North, and by extension Nigeria, the group observed that they have never been interested in political matters, but it became necessary, considering the nature of the facts on the issue, therefore, stand with Senator Ningi, and condemned the action and decision of the Senate.
The statement lamented that the quick suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi which the Senate leadership rushed to announce tells Nigerians more than what meets the eye, stressing that Ningi is a hero of the country’s democracy and must all rise and face the monster that is destroying the nation or else Nigerians will continue to suffer the misdeed of a few individuals who do not have the interest of the nation at heart.
The group demanded that the Senate leadership immediately lift Senator Ningi’s suspension and immediately reinstate him, failure to do so, the group added that it would have no choice but to mobilize in a few days, people from the 19 northern states, other well-meaning Nigeria and civil society organisations across the country to move to the National Assembly.
It urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to set up an independent panel to investigate the allegations, believing that Ningi has proven himself as a true representative of the people, for speaking out in defence of the Nigerian poor masses, who are always at the receiving end of all these unlawful behaviours, by some of the leaders.
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