The differences in the distribution of the Zonal Intervention Project monies have been explained by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the lawmaker for the Abia South Senatorial District.
Remember that on Tuesday, Senator Agom Jarigbe of Cross River North claimed that ranking senators received N500 million in funding while he received none?
Jarigbe made the claim on the Senate floor in response to a budget padding charge made by Senator Abdul Ningi, a legislator from Bauchi Central.
Lawmakers that have served in the Red Chamber for at least four years are referred to be ranking senators.
Speaking on Arise TV on Wednesday, Abaribe refuted his colleague’s claim that he received N500 million.
Nonetheless, he claimed to have received N266 million from the funds given to National Assembly members in each of the six geopolitical zones.
Since his Southeast zone consists of only five states, Abaribe explained that lawmakers from some zones, like as the Northwest, which includes seven states, would naturally receive less than what he did.
“I have been saying that all fingers are not equal and that certain people will get by virtue of their office, but not every Senator gets the same amount of money,” he uttered.
“The country is divided into six zones, and each zone receives a N10 billion intervention. Now, since you have seven states, the senator from the Northwest zone will receive less than me, who is from the five states zone.
“If we divide the N2 billion that my state, Abia, receives for the Senate and the representatives, the Senate receives 40% and the House receives 60%.
“I received a zonal intervention of almost N266 million. The individual with seven states in the Northwest will inevitably receive less, roughly one hundred million Naira.
Therefore, it is incorrect to state that each constituency should receive the same amount.
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