On July 17, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded the Independent National Electoral Commission’s 2019 election budget request to National Assembly for consideration. The president had in his letter appealed to leadership of NASS to expedite action on the matter in view of the crucial 2019 general elections around the corner.
Before then, the federal lawmakers had commenced their annual vacation during which a number of them would have travelled to their constituencies to canvass support for re-election while others are currently out of the country for hajj. All these brought about a lot of apprehension in several quarters as to how it could be possible for leadership of NASS to succeed in getting enough number of lawmakers to reconvene and attend to the president’s urgent request.
We recall that the first attempt by leadership of NASS to meet and choose possible date to reconvene proved abortive as the environment was not conducive for peaceful meeting following blockage of National Assembly on August 7, 2018 by hooded gun-totting operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). Also, there were speculations that leadership of NASS would not likely be in a hurry to set a date to reconvene in view of the raging media reports that certain characters were plotting to impeach some leaders of National Assembly and that if this plan was carried out, it could plunge the country into monumental crisis.
On August 13, 2018, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Lasun Yusuf, on behalf of All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the House, assured that the National Assembly would reconvene the following day to consider Mr. President’s request but they never did. Many that were closely following developments within the tensed polity knew Yusuf was certainly not speaking for leadership of NASS as reconvening would necessitate that required number of lawmakers must be in attendance. However, it was heartwarming when Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, assured recently that although a date was yet to be fixed for reconvening of NASS to consider INEC’s 2019 budget, there was no report to consider until the relevant standing committees of Senate and the House on INEC and Election Matters examines the budget proposal and presents report for consideration of members at a joint session. According to them, “it would be most irresponsible to recall members now when there is no report to consider”.
This explanation must have finally helped in disabusing the troubled minds of many Nigerians who have been misled by political jobbers that the federal lawmakers deliberately did not want to reconvene to consider the report so that INEC’s plan for 2019 elections could fail. Already, the leadership of NASS had held preliminary meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. Meetings between him and joint Senate and House of representatives Committees have also been held. On August 17, the latest meeting was held to sort out yawning disparities between the N242.45 billion proposed by Federal Government for INEC and INEC’s proposal of N189.2 billion. If this aspect is sorted out since the joint committees have reportedly isolated controversial items belonging to security forces from INEC’s budget, it should not take the committees much time to turn in their report to leadership of NASS.
Unfortunately, as at last Friday, August 17, 2018 which was third time the joint committees met over the controversial INEC budget within one week, resolution of discrepancies between government’s proposal and that of INEC, was again deadlocked. Failure to resolve the issue by the end of this month could endanger INEC’s preparations for the elections.
We implore the federal lawmakers to handle INEC’s budget with the urgency it deserves not minding whatever inconvenience it would cause them if invited to reconvene even before expiration of their vacation on September 25, 2018. After conclusion of work on INEC’s budget, they may choose to continue their vacation.
Anything that could be hindrance to credible elections in 2019 should be avoided. The issue of INEC’s budget should not be politicised. Due to nearness of the elections and the need for INEC to be fully prepared for same, we urge NASS leadership to, in conjunction with the joint committees, quickly resolve the issue of discrepancies for the report to be ready for consideration when NASS reconvenes soonest. This way, the controversies the issue has so far generated would be put behind us for peace to reign in the land.
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