Former Imo state governor, Achike Udenwa has reacted to the allegation of about N3 trillion budget padding by the Senate.
Speaking to Daily Sun about the controversy generated by the allegation, Udenwa queried the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate leadership’s suspension of the whistleblower, Senator Abdul Ningi.
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?
”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.”
