Senate President Bukola Saraki
says the national assembly is committed to ensuring the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) is well funded to conduct the 2019 polls.
He said this on Sunday in reaction
to the claim of the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) that he was slowing down
the approval of the budget request for the elections.
In a statement by Olu Onemola,
his special assistant on new media, Saraki said the claim is an example of
“conscientious ignorance on full display”.
He said despite the failure of
the executive to submit the budget on time, the relevant committees of the
national assembly are working to ensure that due process is followed in
approving the president’s request.
“By now, the Nigerian people are
aware that the executive branch could have submitted INEC’s 2019 election
budget at the time it submitted the 2018 appropriations proposal last year,”
Onemola said.
“The executive had from January
till June this year to submit the budget request. However, due to a perceived
lack of foresight, display of usual tardiness or an attempt to ensure that due
process would not be followed, this request was submitted only a few days
before the statutory national assembly annual recess.”
He further said: “Regardless of
this unforced error on the part of the executive, the national assembly has
continued its work on this budget.
“The joint committees are now
scheduled to meet on Monday when they are expected to come up with a committee
report that will be sent to the appropriations committee, which will spell out
how to source the president’s virement request through the concerned MDAs.
“The senate president, the senate
and the entire national assembly, are committed to ensuring that the 2019 elections
receive all necessary funding. However, this should not be at the expense of
due process and stated guidelines.
“Groups like the Buhari Media
Organisation that have worked assiduously to attempt to scapegoat the senate
president for the failure of the executive to submit INEC’s 2019 election
budget on time, know that the national assembly is and has been working on this
budget request through its committees.”
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