Connect with us

FEATURED

INEC Defends N189.2bn Election Budget Before Lawmakers

Published

on





The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has defended the commission’s N189.2 billion budget at separate sessions with the Senate’s and House of Representatives’ committees on INEC.
Yakubu, who gave a breakdown of the various components of the budget, told the lawmakers that preparations for the poll ought to have started by August 15 (yesterday).
The Nation reports that documents submitted to the lawmakers by INEC indicated that election operational cost will cost N134.4bn; technology -N27.5bn; administrative cost -N22.6bn; and miscellaneous -N4.6bn.
According to the newspaper, the INEC chair spoke of significant increase in the variables and logistics for the 2019 elections as against the 2015 polls that cost N120 billion.
According to him, the commission will be conducting elections with about 91 political parties on the ballot. There are over 82 million registered voters.
The voter population in 2015 was about 70 million, with about 40 political parties on the ballot.
Yakubu said the figures could rise in the months ahead, as the commission still had 140 applications for party registration still pending; the voter registration has been extended by two weeks to end August 30.
INEC will conduct the presidential and National Assembly elections in February. They will be followed by governorship elections in 29 states, alongside state assembly election in the 36 states.
Also included in the budget is the cost of conducting elections into the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the expiration of the tenure of the elected officials coincides with the general elections.
Also captured in the INEC budget is the Osun State governorship election coming up on September 22. The INEC chair said 48 political parties will participate in the Osun election.
The Total cost for 2019 polls is N242, 445b, made up as follows: INEC to receive N189.207b, ONSA to get N4.2b, DSS to receive N12.213 b, NSCDC to get N3.573 b, NIS to get N2.628 b, Police to get N30.541 b.
A breakdown of the police budget is: Police dogs N166,315m, Dogs’ medical/ general expenses N143,782m and 50 Polie horses’ feeding N7,719.4m.
The chairman of the Senate committee, Suleiman Nazif, assured INEC of the legislature’s desire to expedite action on the budget, considering the time constraint.
Nazif said the committee members will meet again today through Friday to fast track the process and refer the documents to the Appropriation Committee of the Senate.
The chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on INEC, Mrs. Aisha Dukku, stressed the need for the parliament to approach the budget proposal from both process and content perspectives.
Dukku told Yakubu: “It is only by so doing that one can begin to unravel the intricacies of the entire range of issues involved and their interconnectedness.
“You will agree with me that for a government that promised change for its people, the foundation of this change ought to be evident in the way we plan our elections and electoral processes.
“The estimates should represent a true picture of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA).”
She expressed concern over INEC’s previous budgets, saying they were neither productive nor effective because of poor planning.”
“It is my prayer and hope that the present administration would address the issues with budgeting, especially as regards funding; unlike the previous budgets that were not productive in the entire planning of elections,” Dukku added.
OPINION11 hours ago

MY UNFORGETTABLE ROBBERY EXPERIENCES IN LONDON AND BRUSSELS, BY ENYINNAYA APPOLOS

FEATURED24 hours ago

Tinubu Weighs In on Police Pension Saga, Orders Free Healthcare for Low-Income Retirees

FEATURED1 day ago

EFCC Chair Blows Hot, Slams Online Portal 48-Hour Deadline to Apologize or Face Lawsuit Over Report of ‘Forced Abduction, Resignation’ of NNPCL GCEO

FEATURED2 days ago

Drug Trafficking: Couple Bag 22 Years Jail Terms as Indian lady, Angolan Bizman, 1 Other to Send 21 Years in Prison

Anioma State
OPINION2 days ago

NED NWOKO: EMPOWERING UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE IN DELTA NORTH, BY EMMANUEL EBOH

NEWS2 days ago

Senator Nwoko Vows Greater Support for Women’s Sports, Hosts AfroBasket Champions D’Tigress

FEATURED2 days ago

Police Arrests Four Female for Illegal Drugs, 211 Other Suspects in Delta

international fraud ring
FEATURED3 days ago

Court Orders Interim Forfeiture of Lagos Property over N986m Diesel Supply Fraud

FEATURED3 days ago

Trump Administration Introduces $15,000 Visa Bonds to Curb Overstays

BUSINESS3 days ago

What MSMEs Need to Know as BOI Disburses N900m to 262 Loan Applicants in FCT

COMMUNITY REPORT3 days ago

Warri South Council Boss Rewards, Decorates 3 Teenagers as Ambassadors for Academy, Career Excellence

Peter Black
FEATURED4 days ago

EFCC Confirms Petition To Probe NNPCL Boss, Ojulari for ‘Fraud’ Amid Resignation Rumour

FEATURED5 days ago

Nwoko Ad-hoc C’ttee Seeks Strategic Local, Global Partnerships to Combat Oil Theft

COMMUNITY REPORT5 days ago

Bel Media Launches ‘Bel Dialogue’ to Mark Ndokwa Reporters at 12

BUSINESS6 days ago

Dangote Names ex-Shell Executive as New CEO

Advertisement
Advertisement