Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe, has dismissed allegations that N3.7 trillion was  padded to the 2024 budget. 


Sen Agom-Jarigbe, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas, described the allegations of  N3.7 trillion padding to 2024 budget as false and urged lawmakers to always protect the sanctity and integrity of the Senate.


He further declared that some senior Senators, excluding himself received incentives in form of constituency project  from the 2024 budget.


Jarigbe speaking during a plenary session on Tuesday in the Red Chamber added that  Senators were at peace with explanation by the Senate Committee on Appropriation on the 2024 budget


According to him, “there was no padding of the budget with N3.7 trillion, as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations has  cleared  the issue of budget padding.”


Jarigbe's confirmation is coming even as the Senate during plenary cleared the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio of any wrong doing.


The Senate at a plenary session in which members reacted to alleged N3.7 trillion padding by Senator Abdul Ningi, also insisted that it only passed N28.7trillion.


 Senator Abdul Ningi in an interview with BBC Hausa  had earlier accused the Senate of paddling the 2024 budget, saying the National Assembly added an extra N3.7 billion to the initial budget.


He has since been suspended by the Senate during plenary