A group of Northern Civil Activists and renowned non-state actors under the auspices of Arewa Youth Leaders for Good Governance has condemned the suspension order on Sen. Abdul Ahmed Ningi of Bauchi Central Senatorial District, who was also the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum of the 10th Assembly, describing the suspension order as unfortunate and too harsh.
In a Press Release on Thursday, the Speaker of the Group Comr. Abdul Danbature, explained that the action of Sen. Ningi to blow the whistle against Budget Padding, which all Nigerians are aware has been a recurring decimal in the country’s budgetary processes should be commended and not victimised, especially when the Senator had withdrawn his statements and tendered apologies.
The Press Text stated that accusation of budget padding was not new nor strange and must not be used to suspend a Senator of the Federal Republic at this most critical and turbulent period of our national history, as this will amount to depriving an entire Senatorial District of representation at the hallowed red chamber for the period of suspension.
“We understand that the distinguished Senators were trying to save their reputations, however, since Senator Ningi had accepted to tender unreserved apologies and had never been found wanting in his conducts at the Senate, should have been considered and apologies accepted with cautions. However, the utterances of some Senators at the sitting clearly revealed political undertones in the final decision. Hence, our passionate appeal to the Senate Presidentand Distinguished Senators to revisit the matter and retract the Suspension Order on Sen. Abdul Ahmed Nengi”
The Arewa Youth Group further declared in the Press Text that if the Senate President and the Senate refuses to listen to their appeal for a reversal of the suspension order within next seven working days, the organisation would mobilize thousands of Youths across the 19 States of Northern Nigeria to a mass protest across the States and to indefinitely occupy the National Assembly Complex.
The group further called on all the Northern Senators to see reason to demand the reversal of the suspension as that will adversely affect an entire District and good people if Bauchi Central.
‘If the whole truth be told before Almighty Allah, there is no way the 2024 Budget would be said to be faultless and void of any firm of manipulations or padding, hence, our appeal to the Senators and Senate President, for the fear of Almighty Allah and for the sake of the good people of Bauchi Central to retract their decision within the next seven Working Days, or leave us with no other option but a mass protest all over the 19 States of the North and indefinite occupation of the National Assembly Complex”. The Text concluded.