Hope rises for 2019 polls as NASS okays N189bn election budget

…Senate considers other aspects of the budget today, wants FG to find missing General
…We’ll resist attempt to frustrate Electoral Act amendment -Dogara
The National Assembly on Wednesday raised the hope of Nigerians on the conduct of the 2019 general elections as it resolved to approve the entire N189.2billion elections budget proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This was even as President Muhammadu Buhari in a fresh letter dated 19th September, 2018, requested the federal lawmakers to approve the entire N189bn elections budget for INEC along with N53bn for various security agencies totalling N242.4bn.

The President in the letter addressed to both chambers of the National Assembly and read on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday said: “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 wish to formally request that the total amount of N242, 445, 322,600.00 billion requested by INEC and the security agencies be considered for inclusion in my virement request under the 2018 Appropriation Act”.

The Daily Times recalls that the President had in an earlier letter forwarded to the National Assembly, requested the lawmakers to approve only N143bn for INEC this year with the intension of capturing the balance of N45.6bn in the 2019 budget for the electoral body which was concurred to by committees of both chambers on INEC in September.

But with the latest request by the President, Appropriation Committees of both chambers have set aside the report of the committee on INEC by approving the entire N189bn elections budget for INEC for virement in the 2018 budget.

Addressing journalists on the latest development, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central), said the committee after exhaustive debate on report of joint committee on INEC and President Buhari’s latest letter, decided to approve the entire N189bn elections budget for INEC.

According to him, the decision was sequel to reasons adduced by Mr. President in the latest letter.

“This committee has approved the entire N189bn elections budget INEC proposed for the 2019 polls which will be tabled on the floors of both chambers today for final approval.

“The other components of the N242bn the President requested to be vired in the 2018 budget for conduct of the 2019 general election will be considered today (Thursday) after meeting heads of the affected security agencies like the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungono, Inspector General of Police , Ibrahim Idris, Director General of Department of State Services etc”, he said.

Goje further said that the committee was granting Buhari’s request of N189 bn to enable INEC conduct the 2019 elections to be reflected in the 2018 budget, adding that, “The 2018 budget would be amended to accommodate the sum N189,207,544,893 INEC budget.”

The breakdown of the N242bn cost of 2019 elections, shows that while Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) takes N189,207,544,893.00bn, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), takes N4,281,500,000.00bn, Department of State Security (DSS) – N12,213,282,455.00bn,

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps – N3,573,534,500.00bn, Nigeria Police Force – N30,541,317,432.00bn, Nigeria Immigration Service -N2,628,143,320.00bn.

The Senate also on Wednesday urged security agencies in the country to intensify efforts towards finding the immediate past Director of Administration of the Nigerian Army, Major General Ibrahim Alkali (rtd), who suddenly disappeared in Du District of Plateau State on Monday, September 4, barely two months after his retirement as well as other missing Nigerians.

The Senate also advised the federal government to set up an investigative panel of inquiry to unravel the circumstances surrounding the dumping of cars found in ponds of Lafande community in the district.

Similarly, it urged the federal government to identify and interrogate possible suspects in the dastardly act and ensure that the perpetrators face the full wraths of the law to serve as deterrent to other criminally-minded persons in the strongest possible terms.

These resolutions were sequel to a motion, “The disappearance of retired Major General I. M. Alkali”, sponsored by Senator Mohammed Hassan (PDP, Yobe South), during plenary.

Presenting the motion, Senator Hassan said wife of General Alkali, Salamatu, had on September 4, alerted the Army authorities that her husband who departed Abuja in the morning of the previous day for Bauchi had not reached his destination, having told her at about noon of the previous day that he arrived Jos safely and would be passing Du road to Bauchi.

According to him, “that was the last communication she had with her husband until this moment as his whereabouts is presently unknown”.

He noted that “following his disappearance, the Nigerian Army, with the support of the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Fire Service and other security agencies embark on intensive search vide tracking of his phone up to when it was switched off as well as relying on tips-off”.

He explained further that when earlier efforts of the Army and other security agencies didn’t yield the desired result, a pool of water in Lafande community was drained amid protest by the local women, who claimed that it was their only source of drinking water.

The lawmaker, however, lamented that “after two days of draining of the pond, a bus was found in it alleged to belong to a new young man that had earlier disappeared along that road,

while on 29th September, 2018 at about 6pm, a Toyota car with registration number MUN 670 AA belonging to Major General I.M. Alkali was pulled out of the water with some of his belongings without any trace of his person, while another car, Rover was recovered from the pond whose owner disappeared in 2013”.

Hassan also noted with concern the reported disappearance of numerous commuters along the Du axis for the past years, especially Bauchi onward bound travellers, stressing the need to address same urgently.

The incident, according to him, raises some pertinent questions, including “Why did the people from Du community refuse to assist the security agencies during the search”, Why did the people (women) try to prevent the Army from draining the water”,

“Why didn’t the community raise a formal complaint from the local government to the state government about the draining of the water”, and “Who were those spreading false information about the circumstances of the disappearance of Major General I.M. Alkali and what were their motives”.

In his brief remarks, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, commended Senator Hassan for the motion and urged the security agencies to intensify their efforts in finding the retired General and other missing Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the Speaker House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, on Wednesday, declared that the House would resist any further attempt to frustrate the enactment of the Electoral Act (amendment) bill as failure to do so would indicate a desire not to improve on the successes recorded in the 2015 general election.

Delivering a speech to mark the resumption of the House from its annual recess at the National Assembly, Dogara said the passage of the amendment bill is also important in order to quell fears that some forces intend to manipulate the forthcoming elections by exploiting loopholes in the extant Electoral Act.

He stated that the Electoral Act (amendment) bill has provisions designed to guarantee free, fair and transparent elections, entrenches the smart card reader and electronic transmission of results, among others.

The speaker assured that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) supplementary budget bill will be accorded expeditious consideration.

“As we settle down to business, let me reiterate that the INEC supplementary budget bill must be accorded expeditious consideration. Furthermore, the pending issue of the Electoral Act amendment bill, which was unfortunately vetoed by Mr. President, must also be expeditiously considered and passed.

“The new Electoral Act amendment bill has provisions that are designed to guarantee free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria. The amendment bill entrenches the smart card reader and electronic transmission of results among others.

“Any further attempt to frustrate the passing into law of the bill, will be indicative of our desire not to improve on the successes of the 2015 general elections and further fueling fears that some,

including our international partners have about some forces who intend to manipulate the forthcoming elections by exploiting identified loopholes in the Electoral Act currently in force,” he added.

The speaker described that the August 8 assault on the National Assembly by masked personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) was a rude reminder that the nation’s democracy is still very fragile.

He also urged the Buhari administration to ensure that all those who had fore – knowledge and participated in the invasion which he described as treasonable must be brought to book.

Charging his colleagues to be steadfast in their fight to protect democracy, Dogara reminded them that their loyalty must be in tandem with their oath of office to the nation and not to any individual or sectional cause or interest.

He said: “The goal of some people who are working to enthrone tyranny and despotism is to harass, intimidate and ridicule this great institution of the people to the point that we are forced to abdicate our responsibilities and fidelity to our oath of office.

“It’s a pity that these elements know nothing about the character of this great Institution and the fact that our devotion to the rule of law far surpasses our love and admiration for any individual or group of persons.”

Dogara thanked members of the National Assembly joint committee on INEC for the patriotism, sacrifice and commitment they put into the work on the supplementary budget of the electoral umpire for the 2019 general election.

However, he cautioned that much work remains to be done in approving the INEC budget, adding that “I urge us not to be so absorbed by the politics of 2019 as to allow our legislative duties to suffer.

“We must utilise the available time judiciously to serve the country and our people to the best of our ability. Having started strong with ground breaking and record setting achievements, we will be on the wrong side of history if we fail to finish as strongly as we started.”

The speaker, who congratulated all House members who won their primary elections, condemned the level of impunity that characterised the party primaries because the leadership of political parties choose to pander to the whims and caprices of certain interests.