The activist also described the Senate as a retirement home of chronic liars, never-do-wells and corrupt former governors.
#RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, has described Nigeria’s National Assembly, particularly the Senate as the coven of thieves.
The activist also described the Senate as a retirement home of chronic liars, never-do-wells and corrupt former governors.
Sowore, who was the candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections said this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday while reacting to the revelation and allegations of 2024 budget padding in which “senior senators” were said to received N500 million each.
It's time we seriously move to abolish the bi-camera legislative system, especially the @NGRSenate, which has always been a coven of thieves; it is the retirement home of chronic liars, never-do-wells, and corrupt former governors in Nigeria. We need a unicameral legislative arm… pic.twitter.com/XUGF5o3agg
— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) March 13, 2024
Senator Jarigbe made the revelation on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday amid controversy over budget padding allegations made by Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ningi had alleged that the Senate leadership padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion.
Senator Ningi, who was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Population, in a recent interview with BBC Hausa alleged that the National Assembly passed a budget of N25 trillion for the 2024 fiscal appropriation year.
According to the lawmaker, the passed budget is in contrast with the N28.7 trillion being implemented by the federal government.
Senator Ningi’s claim has caused public outrage with many Nigerians lambasting Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
On Tuesday, the Senate was thrown into a rowdy session as the senators discussed the budget padding allegation.
Speaking during the rowdy session, Senator Jarigbe said, "I thought that when the chairman of appropriation spoke, it was as clear as crystals that there was a misunderstanding of the figures.
"When he came up with the GOEs and all the agencies on first line charge, there is no difference between the figure he reeled out and the figure purported to be padded.
"I thought with that, the allegation would have been rested by Senator Ningi saying that this N3.7 trillion was not part of the budgetary provisions printed out for us. That would have settled this matter.
"We are going forth and back on these issues and coming up with the issues of budget and individual issues concerning what came to our various constituencies.”
The Cross River senator further said, "If we want to go into those issues, all of us are culpable. Some senators here, so-called Senior senators got N500 million each. I am a ranking senator, I didn't get. Did I go to the press? Most of you got."
Senator Jarigbe’s revelation threw the upper legislative chamber into another rowdy session as many of the lawmakers became agitated over his revelation.
Reacting to Senator Jarigbe’s revelation and the alleged 2024 budget padding controversy, Sowore said that it was time for Nigeria to abolish the bi-cameral legislative system, especially the Senate.
According to him, Nigeria needs a unicameral legislative arm comprising not more than 100 part-time lawmakers.
He wrote, “It's time we seriously move to abolish the bi-cameral legislative system, especially the @NGRSenate, which has always been a coven of thieves.
“It is the retirement home of chronic liars, never-do-wells, and corrupt former governors in Nigeria. We need a unicameral legislative arm with no more than 100 part-time lawmakers.”