Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has revealed that as a principal officer in the 10th National Assembly, he received more than the N200m allocation for constituency projects in the 2024 Appropriation Act.

Ndume said this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, in response to allegations by Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe from Cross River North that some senators got the total of N500 million each from the 2024 Budget for constituency projects.

Agom-Jarigbe had on Tuesday, during a story session in Abuja, disclosed this while the lawmakers debated budget padding claims by Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi Central Senatorial District.

Ningi had claimed that about N3.7trn was not tied to any project in the 2024 N28.7trn budget.

Agom-Jarigbe had alleged that some Senators are culpable of such practice, noting that some senior senators got N500 million each from the 2024 Appropriation Act.

Quizzed whether the claim by Agom-Jarigbe was true, Ndume said, “It’s disparity now, we are not the same; all animals are equal but some are more equal than the other. That’s what the case is. They have agreed to that.

“All the senators have N200m (each) as their constituency projects but I am a leader. That is the difference. 10 of us are leaders including those in the opposition. We get more than the floor members. It’s normal.

“That decision is taken by the senators. We have the senate budget committee before but now the floor members entrusted that to the presiding officers. That’s the difference. So, most the senators don’t know what I get and I will not tell you.”

Vanguard News