Budget Padding Allegation: The senate have been stripped naked in the marketplace – Oshiomhole

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has expressed his dismay over the recent allegations of budget padding within the Senate.

Oshiomhole expressed his concern that the Senate’s integrity has been compromised and exposed in public view.

His remarks were delivered on the Senate floor during the discussion on the N3.7 trillion budget allegations raised by Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central constituency.

Ningi, who serves as the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, claimed that the National Assembly had deliberated and approved a budget of N25 trillion for 2024, rather than the N28.7 trillion being implemented by the Federal Government. He made these assertions during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service.

According to Oshiomhole: “We have been stripped naked in the market place, so we can’t now wrap it up like it’s nothing

“He has made credible contributions in this Senate so I think he can still remedy it having agreed that something went wrong.

“What was the figure in the Appropriation Bill that was approved? Somebody answered N28 billion, therefore, any suggestion that it was N25 billion is simply a lie.

“The problem of trying to defend a lie is that you have to stick to more lies to defend lies

“Ningi has a duty to his children that he will not be the man reported in the media as saying what is not true.”