By Ahmed Ilallah
The issue of Budget Padding and marginalisation of some regions on development programmes allegations is not new in this country.
The great arm to develop every society in the democratic government are the politicians leaders, who are occupying government offices through elections, as they are the thinkers, policy makers and executors. If they are competent in their jobs, the country will achieved all her development objectives.
The suspension of Bauchi Central Senator, Senator Ningi on his claims and public comments on the budget padding allegations, that deter the image of the Red Chamber according to the Senate leadership.
The claims of Senator Ningi’s, that 3.7 trillion inserted in the 2024 budget has location and place of spending, their through investigation has not traced any projects of the 3.7 trillions in the Budget.
According to the Senator Ningi who is also the Chairman of Northern Senators Forum, it is a findings of Northern Senators, and they have met with the Senate President on the matter
He clearly stated at plannery sitting of the Senate that the intentions of the Northern Senators was to met with the Senate president with their findings and subsequently met the President Tinubu with their findings concerning the 2024 budget. But he confirmed the interview he made with BBC is his personal.
During the sitting the Senate President has confirmed their meeting with about 30 northern senators on the issue.
Back to my topic, the scenario and actions and reaction of the Senator’s during the sitting that suspends the Senator Ningi, is worrisome to the general political leadership in the country to all patriotic Nigerians. There are a lot of lesson for the northerners on their coordination and collaboration to safeguard the region.
One of Senators from the south south, made the conclusion that, all these allegations are not on national interest, but a plan for an inhouse coup to dethrone the Senate President by the northerners, he reminds the Senate President that, majority of them have not voted for him before.
The worrisome that can scared the future of Nigeria, is how these big politicians are still driving on a divisional lines of regions, religions and ethnicity.
Though, the north is in the dangerous site of the country, as a result of uncoordinated and poor collaboration of the political leaders.
On this case they left Ningi to fight alone at the chamber, unless few of them, they failed to back him, though is their general fight, as it is an observation of the Northern Senators.
The north now is slowly handled by the terrorists across the region and multiple dangerous objectives, kidnapping and destroying the region, as a result of lack of collaboration and coordination of northern governor’s to fight the insurgency.
The education and health systems is deteriorating everyday, the communicable diseases are accelerating as a result of poor collaboration of the northern leaders in attending the problems.
This budget padding saga that engulf the Senator Ningi is clearly that our political leaders have a shortcoming of unity and collaboration to safe themselves and the region.