Senator Adams Oshiomhole of Edo North has expressed deep concern over the budget padding allegations that have recently shaken the Senate, describing the situation as the Senate being “stripped naked in the market place.”
Speaking passionately on the floor of the Senate during the debate on the N3.7 trillion budget allegation raised by Bauchi Central Senator, Abdul Ningi, Oshiomhole highlighted the gravity of the allegations and stressed the need for accountability and transparency.
Ningi, who serves as the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, had alleged that the National Assembly debated and passed a budget of N25 trillion for the year 2024, contrary to the N28.7 trillion being implemented by the Federal Government.
Addressing the Senate, Oshiomhole emphasized the importance of addressing the issue transparently, stating, “We have been stripped naked in the market place, so we can’t now wrap it up like it’s nothing.”
He acknowledged Ningi’s contributions to the Senate but urged him to rectify the situation and uphold the truth. “Ningi has a duty to his children that he will not be the man reported in the media as saying what is not true,” Oshiomhole asserted.
Refuting the allegations, Oshiomhole stressed the discrepancy in the figures presented, stating, “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.”
He cautioned against attempting to defend falsehoods, warning that it only leads to further deception. “The problem of trying to defend a lie is that you have to stick to more lies to defend lies,” Oshiomhole remarked.
