by Kingseyi Sat Aug 18, 2018 8:30 amAbuja – The Chairman, Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu
Mahmud, on Friday in Abuja, reiterated that the
commission had no prepared budgetary
allocation for international observers coming to
monitor 2019 general elections.
elections
Mahmud made this known to State House
correspondents in Abuja while reacting to
questions on the INEC budget submitted
to the National Assembly for its
consideration.
It would be recalled that some Civil Society
Organisations including the Human Rights
Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), had
frowned at the INEC’s budget for the 2019
general elections.
HURIWA described the INEC’s budget as
“fraudulent, criminal and highly unsustainable.
“The N4.614 billion classified as miscellaneous
expenses is fraudulent and must never be
approved just as the win components of
N134.427 billion for election operation cost and
N22.660 billion for election administrative cost
are duplication meant to conceal the cash that
would inevitably be siphoned.’’
The non-government organisation added “the
budget for payment of foreign observers lacks
credibility and should be discarded.”
However, the INEC chairman insisted that there
was no such budget for the international
observers as being peddled in some quarters.
He said: “I have had this question that we have
prepared budget for international observers,
there is no such thing. There is no line in the
budget for international observers.
“What we have provided for are the kits, you
know the jackets, caps, publication, that we give
to international observers, the stickers that are
fixed on their cars to be identified on Election
Day.
“This is the standard practice. Each country that
organises elections provides these facilities for
those who monitor elections.
“But their accommodation, transportation will be
borne by various election monitoring groups
and not by the Nigerian government.’’
On possibility of postponing the 2019 general
elections in view of the delay in the passage of
the INEC’s budget for the elections by the
National Assembly, Mahmud said there were no
conditions under which elections should be
postponed.
He said: “Under section 26 of the Electoral Act,
the date is formed and fixed, February 16, 2019.
“We issued the timetable way in advance for the
very first time in the history of our nation;
citizens of Nigeria know when elections will take
place one year in advance. It has never happen
before.
“Secondly, also for the very first time in the
history of our country, that citizens know the
budget of the electoral commission, that budget
has never been defended before the National
Assembly, as citizens know line by line how
much the commission proposed, what the
money is going to be spent on.
“I think I am very happy with this
process.’’(NAN)
Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu
Mahmud, on Friday in Abuja, reiterated that the
commission had no prepared budgetary
allocation for international observers coming to
monitor 2019 general elections.
elections
Mahmud made this known to State House
correspondents in Abuja while reacting to
questions on the INEC budget submitted
to the National Assembly for its
consideration.
It would be recalled that some Civil Society
Organisations including the Human Rights
Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), had
frowned at the INEC’s budget for the 2019
general elections.
HURIWA described the INEC’s budget as
“fraudulent, criminal and highly unsustainable.
“The N4.614 billion classified as miscellaneous
expenses is fraudulent and must never be
approved just as the win components of
N134.427 billion for election operation cost and
N22.660 billion for election administrative cost
are duplication meant to conceal the cash that
would inevitably be siphoned.’’
The non-government organisation added “the
budget for payment of foreign observers lacks
credibility and should be discarded.”
However, the INEC chairman insisted that there
was no such budget for the international
observers as being peddled in some quarters.
He said: “I have had this question that we have
prepared budget for international observers,
there is no such thing. There is no line in the
budget for international observers.
“What we have provided for are the kits, you
know the jackets, caps, publication, that we give
to international observers, the stickers that are
fixed on their cars to be identified on Election
Day.
“This is the standard practice. Each country that
organises elections provides these facilities for
those who monitor elections.
“But their accommodation, transportation will be
borne by various election monitoring groups
and not by the Nigerian government.’’
On possibility of postponing the 2019 general
elections in view of the delay in the passage of
the INEC’s budget for the elections by the
National Assembly, Mahmud said there were no
conditions under which elections should be
postponed.
He said: “Under section 26 of the Electoral Act,
the date is formed and fixed, February 16, 2019.
“We issued the timetable way in advance for the
very first time in the history of our nation;
citizens of Nigeria know when elections will take
place one year in advance. It has never happen
before.
“Secondly, also for the very first time in the
history of our country, that citizens know the
budget of the electoral commission, that budget
has never been defended before the National
Assembly, as citizens know line by line how
much the commission proposed, what the
money is going to be spent on.
“I think I am very happy with this
process.’’(NAN)
