Senator Abdul Ningi’s suspension, injustice to Nigerians – Arewa group

The three-month suspension slammed on Senator Abdul Ningi (representing Bauchi Central) by the Senate, over his claim that the 2024 budget was padded with N3.7tn by the National Assembly has been described as an injustice to Nigerians who are going through a lot to keep their representatives in office.

The Arewa Advancement for Peace and Development Initiative which condemned the suspension also demanded that the Senate lift the suspension, and reinstate Senator Ningi while the Executive arm of government should investigate the claim so that Nigerians can know the truth.

In a statement issued in Jos on Thursday and signed by Alhaji Alhassan Sabo and Dr. Susan Ogbaji, the group’s Chairman and Secretary respectively, the allegation has exposed that the Executive arm of government is always blamed for the fault of others who are entrusted with leadership positions.

It reads in part, “We are here to voice out our displeasure over the recent events in the National Assembly, particularly the Senate Chamber, which should have been our symbol of pride, and the pillar of our hope as a nation, because it holds the representatives (voices) of the Nigerian people. But unfortunately, that is not the case.

“The allegation raised by distinguished Senator Abdul Ningi has opened up a can of worms, which did not go well with the leadership of the Senate. How did we get to where we are as a people? We keep blaming the Executive for our woes, but should we now say that the real enemies of the Nigerian people are their representatives?

“How can over N3 trillion be padded into our national budget, and Nigerians are mute over such sensitive and national issues? We are killing our economy, killing our future generations, killing our means of survival as a people. If this allegation is true, then we have lost it as a people and should be ashamed of ourselves.

“As a group that is concerned about the peace and development of the North, and by extension Nigeria, we have never been interested in political matters, but this press statement became necessary, considering the nature of the facts on this issue, therefore we stand with Senator Ningi, and condemned the action and decision of the Senate.”

The statement added, “The quick suspension, which the Senate leadership rushed to announce tells us more than what meets the eye. Distinguished Senator Abdul Ningi, is a hero of our democracy, we must all rise and face the monster that is destroying our nation or else we will continue to suffer the misdeed of a few individuals who do not have the interest of the nation at heart.

Enough is enough. The Nigerian masses can not continue to keep quiet in the face of injustice.

“We demand that the Senate leadership immediately lift Senator Ningi’s suspension and immediately reinstate him, failure to do so, we will have no choice but to mobilize in a few days, people from the 19 northern states, other well-meaning Nigeria and civil society organisations across the country to move to the National Assembly. The Senate leadership should set up an ad-hoc committee with immediate effect to investigate and verify the allegation.

“President Bola Tinubu’s administration should set up an independent panel to investigate the allegations. Senator Ningi has proven himself as a true representative of the people, for speaking out in defence of the Nigerian poor masses, who are always at the receiving end of all these unlawful behaviours, by some of our leaders.”