…He also vows that those responsible for killing soldiers will be punished.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu assured the leadership of the 10th Senate that the integrity of the National Assembly remains unchanged amid allegations of budget padding over recent weeks.
He stated that his government will always promote cooperation between the executive and judiciary for the country's progress.
Tinubu made these remarks during a dinner with the Senate leadership to break the Ramadan fast at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.
In a statement released early Friday, titled 'President Tinubu: We will not allow anyone to undermine our security; killers of soldiers in Delta State will face certain justice,' Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed the President's stance.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP) accused the Tinubu-led government of implementing a different budget than the one approved on January 1, 2024.
Ningi, who chaired the Northern Senators’ Forum and Senate Committee on Population, argued in a BBC Hausa Service interview that a N25tn budget was debated and passed, not the N28.7tn currently being implemented.
He insisted that N3.7tn could not be explained in the 2024 budget.
However, the Senate suspended Senator Ningi for three months over this claim during a plenary session on March 12.
Addressing the allegations publicly for the first time, Tinubu said, “I am familiar with the budget calculations and the figures I presented to the National Assembly, as well as the numbers I received back.
“I commend all of you for the prompt handling of the budget. Thank you very much.
“Those who are speaking about malicious embellishment in the budget did not comprehend the calculations and did not refer to the baseline of what I submitted. But your integrity remains unblemished.”
Tinubu expressed gratitude to the lawmakers and stated that Nigerians are at a “turning corner” in terms of economic challenges.
“The natural challenges we are experiencing will soon come to an end. With the current economic difficulties, we are on the verge of a breakthrough.
“Our revenue has improved. All we need to do is control our spending and manage ourselves more efficiently.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel, and Nigerians will soon be happy again,” the President asserted.
Tinubu also thanked members of the National Assembly for their swift attention to the Student Loan Amendment Bill, urging more tolerance, forgiveness, and generosity during Ramadan.
He assured that those responsible for killing soldiers in Delta State will face justice and cautioned that his government will not tolerate attacks on the military and security infrastructure.
The President also confirmed that the military will continue to receive support from his administration in addressing security threats nationwide.
“Our armed forces are working diligently, and we will not allow assailants to undermine the honor and worth of our armed forces and its leadership.
“We will persist in advocating for our sovereignty, our individual right to exist, and we will triumph in eradicating poverty from our land,’’ the President declared.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, expressed gratitude to the President for inviting the lawmakers. He mentioned that regular discussions would improve understanding and effective governance.
Akpabio stated, "We convey greetings from the 10th senate. We assure continued cooperation because we strongly believe that with the President and Vice-President both from the National Assembly, and even the Chief of Staff as our member, we have no choice but to collaborate and support this administration to succeed."
