The Senator representing Niger East and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Muhammad Sani, has stated that there is no evidence of budget padding in the approved 2024 appropriation.
Speaking to reporters in Minna on Monday, Muhammad Sani addressed the issue shortly after launching an empowerment program for over two thousand eight hundred members of his constituency, who each received ₦50,000.
He noted that while Senator Abdul Ningi’s allegations regarding the 2024 Appropriations Act may have merit or not, Ningi failed to utilize the appropriate channels provided by the Senate.
Senator Ningi’s claim, asserting that over ₦3 trillion worth of projects in the 2024 Appropriations Act lacked specific locations, resulted in his suspension from the Senate last week.
During the event where he distributed ₦50,000 to constituents affected by bandit activities in the Shiroro area, Sani explained that the assistance would aid victims in resettling into normal life more swiftly.
Despite ongoing concerns about insecurity in certain regions of the state, Sani expressed optimism about progress in combating insecurity. He mentioned that the government is judicious in disclosing security information as part of its strategy to defeat bandits.
Addressing the issue of hunger, Yakubu Garba, the Deputy Governor of Niger State, who was also present at the event, highlighted that subsistence agriculture alone was insufficient to meet the state’s and the nation’s food needs. He emphasized that the state government’s agricultural policies aim to ensure food security nationally.