There were indications yesterday that after all the brickbats and
accusations, the presidency and the National Assembly may have come to
terms on the grey areas in the N189. 2 billion 2019 election budget for
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ).
President
Muhammadu Buhari had in July this year sent N242 billion estimates to
the National Assembly for approval as budgetary provisions for INEC and
security agencies .
While INEC sought for the sum of N189. 2
billion for the conduct of the 2019 general election , the president
split the figure required and requested that they be raised separately .
Out
of the total N189. 8 billion required by INEC for the conduct of the
2019 general election , the presidency divided the source of funding
into two , with N54 billion included in the 2019 budget , while
N145billion is to be vired from the 2018 budget .
LEADERSHIP
gathered that the chairman, Senate committee on INEC , Senator Suleiman
Nazif Gamawa , after getting more explanations on the budget and why it
was split into components , assured that the issue would be resolved
between now and next week. According to a reliable source in INEC ,
Nazif said the lawmakers will work assiduously at committee levels to
ensure that the final version of the election budget for INEC is ready
for harmonisation by a joint committee of the National Assembly for
onward transmission to the appropriation committees .
It was
learnt that the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on
INEC , Hajiya Aisha Dukku, also agreed with her Senate counterpart that
they should work on the INEC budget throughout the Sallah holidays since
it was a national assignment for which urgency is needed.
The
lawmakers were said to have worked on the election budget at the
committee levels throughout the Sallah holidays following the resolution
of the issues bordering on certain grey areas .
Our source who
did not want his name in print noted however that the budget for
security agencies is still pending , as the committees are only
concentrating on the INEC budget .
“ Our concern is the INEC
budget . We don ’t have any business with the security component . Our
committee is INEC . We are not for security . Some of the lawmakers who
are members of INEC committees are also members of appropriation
committees in both chambers of the National Assembly. The issue has been
resolved and INEC will have a budget by next week,” the source told our
correspondent on phone .
On how the issue was resolved, the
source said , “ INEC needs this money before the 2019 elections and the
2019 budget might not be approved before the election .
That was
the bone of contention . “ The difference is that the lawmakers said
INEC budget cannot be broken down into components in two fiscal years.
The elections will hold in February and the 2019 budget won ’t be ready
by that time .
“ So , Udo Udoma now asked the National Assembly
to put the total amount in the 2018 budget so that the additional amount
be deducted in the 2019 budget .
That is how the issue was
resolved. The National Assembly wants the budget to be put together in
one fiscal year instead of breaking it into two , and that is what the
executive conceded to” .
At this point, the lawmakers promised to
harmonise the positions at their various committee levels , including
the appropriations committees , bearing in mind that the presidency will
not put the said figure again in the 2019 budget .
On the way
forward, the source said , “ Now that it has been resolved that the INEC
budget will only be in the 2018 budget , it will be sent to the
presidency by next week for signing .
So , there is no increment
in the budget . We now have about N189. 8 billion for the election
taken from the 2018 budget instead of taking N54 billion in the 2019
budget and about N145billion in the 2018 budget .
“ INEC needs
the total amount to be taken in the 2018 budget instead of waiting until
2019 and we won ’t be able to have such money in an election period .
The presidency assured the lawmakers that they are not thinking of
touching their N101 billion constituency project funds .
They
were satisfied with Udo Udoma’s response and assured that both
committees are prepared to work even during the Sallah break to ensure
that the budget for INEC is ready before next week”.
Noting that
the election budget for security agencies is still far from resolving ,
he said , “ From our findings and calculations , by next week INEC will
have a budget because the differences have been resolved. The only issue
that has not been resolved is the issue of the security component .
“
The entire budget the president sent to the National Assembly is about
N242 billion . The INEC component has been resolved but for that of the
security , I am not aware ”.
On the election budget for security agencies , another source in the National Assembly confirmed that there is no end in sight .
The
lawmaker who spoke on condition of anonymity said , “ It is hoped that
the National Assembly joint committee may reach a compromise and make
its recommendation to the Appropriation Committee next week .
“
But that is just one aspect of the virement. The other aspect concerns
funds being budgeted for the security . The committee on Security is yet
to commence sitting before making its report to the appropriation
committee .
Although all this can be done within a day or two if the legislature and the executive are working in harmony ” .
He further raised doubt on the possibility of the INEC budget getting
ready by next week, citing party politics as it borders 2019 tickets for
APC lawmakers. “ The unspoken aspect of the delay in the passage of the
INEC budget has to do with the APC Senators Saraki has reached out to
in the ongoing altercation.
They may want resumption of the
Senate to be delayed till September 30 for them to see if the APC
leadership will live up to its promise of automatic ticket for them to
return to the Senate” , he noted .
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