By Comrade Aminu Sa’adu Beli
The Senate President,
Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON,
Nigerian Senate,
National Assembly,
Abuja.
Distinguished,
While we hold the Red Chamber, in very high esteem, the development that leads to suspension for three months, of the Distinguished Senator, Abdul Ahmad Ningi,and one the most experienced, polished and common-man-centered legislators in our political history, evidently filled this Group, and several others, with acute consternation.
The Group couldn’t help feeling that way, for some obvious reasons.
One, the weighty issue which Senator Ningi raises, up to this moment, leaves Nigerians to their imagination, because no adequate time has been given by the Chamber, to elucidate to the public in a way to make them understand where he has gone wrong in his elaborate allegations.
We therefore, ask, why the rush to suspend him, or subject him to such a summary punitive measure?
Two, from what he has explained, his colleagues especially leadership of the Chamber, failed to give superior arguments against his claim that, ‘no nexus between the N3 trillion under scrutiny, and budget specifics’, notably ‘Money, Project and Location’, as the N25 trillion approved by the Senate, and assented to, by President Tinubu, had been treated.
We have expected the Senate, to not only refute, but confute his allegations. So far, the public could only see, that the red Chamber has succeeded in refuting, but glaringly failed to confute the allegations. The Senate, therefore, owes Nigerians clarification, to justify the punishment meted to Senator Ningi.
Thirdly, to give credence to the alleged foul play which he has tried to expose, one of the dissenting voices in the Senate, Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe, startled the Chamber with another allegation that, Senior Senators exclusively received N500 million, each, apparently to cover up the seeming deal between them and the Executive arm, without sharing the fortune with other members of the Chamber.
This allegation, may have some link to Ningi’s claim of N3 trillion budget padding, in that, the Senior Senators might have received the N500 million, to compromise, hence faulting, and fighting Ningi now trying to expose how they worked with the President, to perpetrate the budget padding.
The fourth reason, is even more unsettling. That, all the four Senators, overtly championing Ningi’s suspension move, belong to the ruling Party, the APC.
They’re Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), Titus Zam (APC, Benue North West), Kaka Shehu (APC, Borno Central) and Senator Ibrahim Jimoh (APC, Ondo South). Why?!
It’s on this note, that we wish to say, that APC and its Senators, are too obvious in their high level conspiracy to silence or even destroy Ningi’s unblemished legislative record, spanning some two decades, and by extension stain his Party – the main opposition Party, PDP.
The unanimous prayers, which our Group hereby submits dutifully, are as follows:
- The suspension be lifted immediately, because it’s orchestrated by the ruling Party-APC, and lacking rectitude component, against the major opposition Party – PDP, looking at the movers and seconders of the suspension motion, all from one Party. As one of the Senators belonging to different Parties, Abaribe says, “The Senate would have acted differently if I were presiding officer.” The chaos witnessed during the deliberations, clearly showed all other opposition Parties, were not in support of the suspension. It’s a unilateral action, which should render it null and void. Again, the move contradicts one of the Chamber’s rules, maintaining that, every constituency must be represented therein.
- The Senate should explain away in clear trrms, what Senator Ningi is actually talking about.
- The Senate, should, failure to respond acceptably, tender unreserved apology, to Senator Abdul Ahmad Ningi.
- The Red Chamber, should remove anything that makes the budget unfavorable or even questionable, to the North and any other section of the country.
- It’s also unmistakable that, while you’re trying to romp the mischievous point home, those who said “Nay” were higher in number, but you chose to take the lower “Yeah”, in order to ensure fateful suspension of him was actualized, because the Senate leadership belonged to APC.
- Allegations of this magnitude, should have been exhaustively deliberated upon, until the conscience of those involved was clear, in the interests of Nigerians.
- Again, the Senate President, should review the video of the session and see the nexus between the “Yeah” and “Nay”, which was in favout of the questionably suspended Distinguished Senator, Abdul Ahmad Ningi.
This punitive measure, our Group feels very strongly, that it is nothing but a well orchestrated mischief, against the nation’s major opposition Party (PDP), underscoring the suspension of one of its leading members, and a beacon in the midst of notable democrats that everyone is proud of.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Chairman, Comrade Sa’idu Bello.
Secretary, Comrade Aminu Sa’ad Beli.
