Achike Udenwa, the former governor of Imo State, responded to the Senate’s accusations of budget padding of almost ₦3 trillion.
Speaking on the issue surrounding the allegation, Udenwa questioned the Senate leadership, led by Godswill Akpabio, regarding their decision to suspend Senator Abdul Ningi, the whistleblower.
He said: “If Senator Ningi had the courage to raise that alarm, the best the Senate leadership would have done was to investigate and institute a public probe to get to the root of it. Is it true?
”We are talking of a budget padding of about N3 trillion in a dwindling economy, and the best you could do was to suspend the whistleblower without looking at what he has said. Are you sweeping such a serious allegation under the carpet?
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”Any responsible leadership could investigate it, make sure that such a thing didn’t happen, and clear the image of the National Assembly. That is the reaction I expected to see from the Senate leadership, but not to suspend Senator Ningi.
”Maybe, after you have investigated and you find out that he lied and that there was nothing like that, if you suspended Senator Ningi, people would see with you, but not the way you did.
”Are you trying to shut him up? He has made an allegation, and the reaction of the Senate leadership is wrong. I do hope that the Senate will retrace its steps. What it has done is not the correct solution to the problem.”
