Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, representing Abia South, has refuted claims that he received N500 million from the 2024 budget, stating that he only received N266 million for constituency projects.
This revelation comes amidst allegations of budget padding made by Senator Abdul Ningi and recent statements by Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe during plenary.
During a chat with ARISE TV, Senator Abaribe addressed the controversy, asserting that Senator Ningi, an experienced member of the Senate, was aware of the inaccuracies in his claims.
Abaribe emphasized that despite being a ranking senator, he did not receive the alleged sum mentioned by Jarigbe.
Explaining further, Senator Abaribe clarified, “Senator Ningi knew it was going to be a mistake. He knew. He’s a member of the Senate. He can’t say he didn’t know. He’s an old Senator. He has been in the Senate before. He knew that this wasn’t correct.
“I never got 500 million. I think Jarigbe tried to clarify his statement. He came back subsequently to say, ‘No, Ningi told me I was given’, because he didn’t get. He’s also a ranking Senator.
“So, I think that at the end of the day, what you see really is that…well, I’m an APGA Senator–the only APGA Senator in the Senate. Maybe being a minority of the minority, they didn’t consider me worthy of being given. Nobody told me about that money.
“I wanted to say that, without equivocation, that both Jarigbe and the Senate leader tried to clarify this issue. Number one: nobody was given 500 million. Even a few of my colleagues called me to say, ‘Ahh, you get 500 million. We dey beg you for money, but you no wan give us one naira out of it.’
“Can you imagine? So, of course, I got 266 million for what’s called the Zonal Intervention Fund, which Nigerians call “constituency project” funds. And this thing takes a budget circle which is twelve months.
“So if at the end of twelve months, you don’t see what’s in the budget for your constituency, then you hold your representatives, whether in the Reps or Senate, culpable,” he added.
