BY NONYELUM JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Convener, Arewa Movement for Good Governance (AM2G), Dr. Usman Bugaje has said that the Senate owes Nigerians explanation as regard to budget Padding, saying Nigeria’s democracy is in a serious crisis.
Bugaje while addressing a press conference on Thursday in Kaduna titled ‘Culpable National Assembly, A Failing Nigerian State And A Democracy In Crisis: Whither Nigeria? Said that many of the figures in the budget were opaque and this opacity would appear to be deliberate to hide the fleecing that is buried in the budget, he added.
He noted that the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, his resignation from the Northern Senators Forum, and the removal of Senator Kawu Sumaila
from its PRO position expose a troubling trend.
“The silence of Northern Senators Forum as a body appears to suggest that they have no courage to show up for the fight against the alleged inequity and transgressions. We thought the issues raised by Senator Ningi are issues which affect their constituencies, the people who ostensibly sent them
there to represent and protect their interest. Are they betraying the trust of their constituencies?
“Are they suggesting that they are an accomplice in the alleged crime
that is unfolding in the senate? Are they willing tools of the Senate President or his boss the President in the alleged subversion of the interest of their constituencies? How did they come about their new leadership? Could the suspicion that they were appointed by the executive be true? Will they have the courage to come clean on
these and several other roles they seem to be playing? The Senate have questions to answer”.
“These developments raise serious
concerns about a culpable National Assembly and a failing Nigerian state, leaving many to wonder: Whither Nigeria? These events unfold against the backdrop of a Nigerian state that has demonstrably failed”.
“We may argue on the figures but Bugetit, an expert institution on budget has confirm a lot of Ningi’s allegations. It has confirmed the hiking of budget of the MDAS by N1.27trn it has confirmed that while the budget submitted was for about N25trn, the budget that went out for signing was over N28trn. The devil is in the details. The whole budget process appear to be messy”.
Bugaje who is also a political activist and former member of House of Representatives further said that democracy is impoverishing the citizens
“More citizens are falling below the poverty line and many are trapped into multi-dimensional poverty. Our
democracy is not creating hope on the horizon for the teaming youth who cannot even go to school and those that managed cannot find jobs. Our democracy is losing its meaning,
losing its value and losing its luster. Our democracy is stripping of our dignity, of our honor and of our humanity”.
“Therefore we want halting and freezing of all funds that are suspect until a thorough investigation is done. Independent investigation including civil society like CISLAC and BUDGETit.
The young people should endeavor to engage these political institutions and defend their future which is being destroyed”.
