EDITORIAL
The proceedings at the Nigerian Senate today on the alleged 3.7 trillion budget padding again reopens the need for deep introspection among Nigerians on the state of the Nigerian state especially as it concerns tribal, religious, and other primordial sentiment. For the political elites especially, it is important that they tread the affairs of the state with caution lest they even lose the country which they are leading and feeding fat on. The session which witnessed more of argument along North-South lines rather than even the majority-minority line also turned a rowdy mishmash for close to 30 minutes.
Though the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola cleared the air on the alleged budget padding to the tune of 3.7 trillion naira levelled by Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi who is Senator representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District and doubles as Chairman, Northern Senators Forum, the elites cannot continue to play the ostrich on this matter. When it is time to collect big remunerations, they converge as ‘my brother from across the Niger’ and the citizens hear nothing but when they want to cause unnecessary ruckus, they make reckless statements which may inflame the country along primordial sentiments.
How many of the persons who listened to Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi’s BBC Hausa Service will get to know what has happened in the Red Chambers today? The former was aired in indigenous Hausa language while today’s session was in lingua franca English, will the conclusions today be well-explained in Hausa? Will the Senator in question likely go back to the same program on BBC Hausa Service to recant his statement? These questions are begging for answers.
Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District
Nigerian elites need to do better, for the sake of the nation. It is important to laud Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of Edo state who stated ‘I am a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am not a Senator of the North nor am I a Senator of the South. I am a Nigerian Senator. We will operate irrespective of the accident of birth and other factors of religion or any of those primordial sentiment. That is the only way as privileged Nigerians that we seat in this Senate. I must plead that we have a duty to uphold the finest standards of the legislature’ among other Senators like Abba Moro of Benue state who tried to calm the tension during the Red Chambers session today.