Senate has concluded plans to give approval to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) budget for 2019 general elections.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the National Assembly said that N242 Billion will be needed for 2019 general elections by both INEC and Security Agencies out of which N189 billion will be needed by the Electoral body for the conduct of election.
In the letter read on the floor of the Senate, Mr President requested for the virement of N164 billion from 2018 budget.
Already, ,the Senate Committee on Appropriation has agreed to approve N189 billion to INEC with immediate effect in order to begin preparation for the general elections.
At the Committee Appropriation Committee meeting on Wednesday, the lawmakers expected the Security Agencies to appear on Thursday to justify their elections budget in 2019.
Buhari in the letter said,” you may recall that in my letter dated 11th July, 2018 I requested for the kind consideration of the National Assembly for a virement under the 2018 Appropriation Act. Part of this request was the funding of the request made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies before the 2019 general elections.
” in that letter, I indicated that INEC, and the Security Agencies had indicated that their total funding requirements for the 2019 elections would amount to N242 billion of that amount, I have requested that N164 Bill ion be accommodated in the 2018 budget , by way of virement within the 2018 Appropriation Act, whilst the balance of N78 billion should be considered by the National Assembly as part of the 2019 budget.
” When the Hon. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma , appeared before the joint Committee of the National Assembly, set up to consider my request accommodating the total amount required for the finding of the 2019 elections as part of the virement of the 2018 Appropriation Act, provided there was a specific request by me.
“In the light of the current realities, and in order to ensure that the 2019 general elections are not affected by any delays in the passage into law of the 2019 budget, I accept this kind suggestion . I therefore wish to formally request that total amount of N242 billion requested by INEC and the Security Agencies, be considered for inclusion in my virement request under the 2018 Appropriation Act.”
