Senator Abaribe Open Up On The Budget Padding Claims.

Senator Abaribe Open Up On The Budget Padding Claims.

Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe representing Abia South has come forward to clarify that he only received N266 million from the 2024 budget, despite claims that some ranking senators received N500 million each.

The controversy arose when Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe stated during a plenary session that senior senators had received N500 million from the budget. This revelation follows allegations of budget padding made by Senator Abdul Ningi in a BBC Hausa interview, where he accused the National Assembly of adding an extra N3.7 trillion to the initial budget.

In response to these claims, Senator Abaribe addressed the issue during an interview with ARISE TV. He expressed his belief that Ningi made a mistake and could not prove his allegations, as he was an experienced member of the Senate.

Abaribe emphasized that despite being a ranking senator, he did not receive the alleged N500 million. He clarified that he received N266 million for the Zonal Intervention Fund, also known as constituency project funds, which is meant to be utilized over a twelve-month period.

The senator stressed the importance of accountability in budget allocation, stating that representatives should be held responsible if constituents do not see the benefits outlined in the budget for their areas. He also mentioned that some of his colleagues jokingly asked him for money from the alleged N500 million, highlighting the confusion surrounding the issue.