We Stand By Sen Ningi – Gov Bala Mohammed
- Faults Senate’s suspension
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed has rejected the three-month suspension slammed on Senator Abdul Ningi over his allegations that the sum N3.7 trillion was not project-specific in the 2024 budget.
Consequently, Governor Bala declared that the State government is solidly behind the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central Senatorial district in the National Assembly (NASS) because he made “truthful remarks” about non-traceable projects in the Appropriation Act being implemented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting at the Government House, Bauchi, on Wednesday, Governor Mohammed said; “Yesterday, I was very sad the Senate suspended one of our best from Bauchi for saying the truth, for standing up to be the beacon of the truth”.
The Bauchi Governor, who also doubles the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, further said; “Equally, I don’t know what we will do but we will discuss privately to see what we can do to support him because I support whatever he is doing and that is our best position especially if what he saying is the truth,”
He said the State government would not let the matter slide as every efforts would be made to exonerate Senator Ningi and show Nigerians that he was saying the truth about the budget.
Forefront News recalled that the upper chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, handed down the suspension order on Ningi, who is also a ranking Senator. Following the development, he tendered his resignation as Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF).
Earlier, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Olamilekan Adeola had initiated the motion on breach of privilege by the Bauchi Senator.
Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial district on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, had invoked orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege and issue of national importance against Ningi over his interview with the BBC Hausa.
Following Adeola’s motion, a member of the Senate Appropriation Committee, Jimoh Ibrahim, first moved the motion for Ningi’s suspension for a period of 12 months, accusing him of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly.
However, insisting that a 12 month sanction would be too harsh on their embattled colleagues, some concerned senators moved to amend the suspension period to three months, which was ratified by the senate.
