…threatens legal action
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, “to immediately reinstate whistleblower Abdul Ningi who was recently suspended from the Senate over his allegations that the lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion”.
Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central at the Senate, was on Tuesday suspended for three months by the Senate for his claims that the 2024 budget was padded which the Senators said was false.
SERAP also urged the senate President to “urgently refer the allegations that lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.”
The rights group also urged Akpabio “to make a public commitment to discontinue the patently unlawful constituency projects in the next budget cycle.”
SERAP, in a letter dated 16 March 2024 and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said: “Referring these allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies would be consistent with the lawmakers’ oath of office and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].”
SERAP said, “What Senator Ningi has done is a positive act of good citizenship. No whistleblower should ever be penalised simply for making a public interest disclosure.
“Without inside information, corruption is hard to detect, prevent and combat. Rather than suspending Senator Ningi, the Senate ought to have used his allegations as a trigger for addressing the lingering problem of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects.
“Referring the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would improve public trust in the ability of the leadership of the Senate to ensure probity and accountability in the budget process.”
SERAP said it would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of the letter, otherwise it would consider appropriate legal actions “to compel you and the Senate to comply with our requests in the public interest”.
“By exercising strong and effective leadership in this matter, the National Assembly can show Nigerians that the legislative body is a proper and accountable watchdog that represents and protects the public interest, and is able to hold itself to account in the management of public resources.
“Encouraging whistleblowers to speak up improves public services and strengthens public accountability. Promptly referring the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigations and prosecution would serve the public interest,” it said.
