Ndume: Each senator got N200m for projects — but presiding officers received more

Ali Ndume, chief whip of the senate, says each senator was allocated N200 million for constituency projects in the 2024 budget.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Ndume said 10 senators, who are leaders, including himself, got more than N200 million in constituency allocation.

Over the past few days, controversy has ensued over the 2024 budget, amid allegations of padding and project insertions.

Last Saturday, Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, stirred controversy when he alleged that the budget was padded with the sum of N3 trillion by the senate.

The allegation elicited debate on the floor of the upper legislative chamber as many senators were furious over Ningi’s claim.

During the debate, Jarigbe Jarigbe, a lawmaker representing Cross River north, claimed that some “senior senators” got N500 million in the 2024 budget for constituency projects.

Subsequently, Ningi was suspended for three months.

Speaking on the development, Ndume said Ningi was wrong for the budget padding allegation. He added that the Bauchi senator wanted to make the 2024 budget an ethnic issue.

The Borno senator said the issue of constituency projects is not a new phenomenon in Nigerian politics.

He added that most of his colleagues know that he got more funds than they did because of his position as the chief whip.

“All the senators have N200 million each for their constituency projects but I’m a leader. That’s the difference,” he said.

“Ten of us are leaders, including the ones in the opposition. They got more than the floor members. It is normal.

“My colleagues know that I got more than the N200 million allocation. We are not all the same. All animals are equal but some are more equal than others. That is the case.”

Ndume declined to disclose the exact amount he received for his “constituency projects”.