Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, says as a principal officer in the 10th National Assembly, he got more than the N200m allocation his colleagues and floor members got for constituency projects in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
“My colleagues know that I go more than them (floor members),” the Senator from Borno South Senatorial District said during a television interview, on Wednesday.
“All the senators have N200m (each) as their constituency projects but I am a leader. That is the difference. Ten of us are leaders including those in the opposition. We get more than the floor members. It’s normal, my colleagues know that I go more than them.”
Ndume was responding to allegations by Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe from Cross River North that some senators got the total of N500 million each from the 2024 Budget for constituency projects.
Agom-Jarigbe had on Tuesday, during a stormy session in Abuja, made the startling disclosure while the lawmakers debated budget padding claims by Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi Central Senatorial District.
Ningi had said N3.7trn was not tied to any project in the 2024 N28.7trn budget and he was suspended for three months.
Agom-Jarigbe had alleged that some Senators are guilty of such practice, adding that some senior senators got N500 million each from the 2024 Appropriation Act.
Asked whether the claim by Agom-Jarigbe was true, Ndume said, “It’s disparity now, we are not the same; all animals are equal but some are more equal than the others. That’s what the case is. They have agreed to that.
“All the senators have N200m (each) as their constituency projects but I am a leader. That is the difference. Ten of us are leaders including those in the opposition. We get more than the floor members. It’s normal.
“That decision is taken by the senators. We have the senate budget committee before but now the floor members entrusted that to the presiding officers. That’s the difference. So, most of the senators don’t know what I get and I will not tell you.”