Zero Tolerance for Corruption Africa (ZTC-Africa), a civil society organization, has denounced recent allegations of 2024 budget padding leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by suspended Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central, dismissing the claims as unfounded.
In a statement released over the weekend in Abuja and signed by the National Secretary of the group, Amb. John Menasseh, ZTC-Africa asserted that Ningi’s actions either stemmed from ignorance or constituted a malicious attempt to smear the reputations of President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the 10th Senate.
The statement clarified that the alleged “untraceable” N3 trillion projects in the 2024 budget were, in fact, statutory transfers allocated to specific government MDAs and for national security purposes, in accordance with existing laws of Nigeria.
Menasseh emphasized the need for Ningi to retract his statements and issue an apology to the National Assembly for making baseless allegations.
ZTC-Africa called on all patriotic Nigerians to support the government in ensuring the full implementation of the 2024 Appropriation Act and pledged its commitment to ensuring that government expenditures align with the provisions of the law.
The organization urged government officials to adhere strictly to budgetary allocations specified in the Appropriation Act, emphasizing the importance of collective effort in realizing the objectives of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
