2015: Poor INEC funding worries Tambuwal, Jega
The 2015 election and the future of Nigeria was at the centre of discussions Wednesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, among key stakeholders in the polity at a public lecture on “Challenges of Fraud-Free Elections under a Democratic Dispensation” organised by the Mustapha Akanbi Foundation (MAF).
Both the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega painted a lamentable picture of poor funding of the commission, arguing that it could severely impair the ability of his team to deliver the expected credible election in 2015.
Tambuwal, who was chairman of the event, said unless something was done about the funding challenge, Nigeria may need to prepare for something else. Both of them made the observations while responding to questions on the theme of the lecture.
Jega said: “Anytime we mention figures about how much it will cost for election, we are put on the defensive. But since the Honourable Speaker has mentioned the figure, I am duty-bound to mention our figure. As I speak with you when we saw the budget of N45 billion and we are asked to now provide the details of how N45 billion can be spent in our engagement with the relevant authorities,” he said.
“Look N45 billion is not even sufficient for us to do necessary procurement between now and say November and to pay salaries and other entitlements of staff because all those are parts of this N45 billion.
“The procurement for purely electoral materials and electoral activities alone outside of payment of allowances is more than N45 billion. So how can you get N45 billion for the entire exercise? Like I said, when we had discussion with the budget office, we submitted a budget of N102 billion and yet N45 billion is what is submitted for us. We hope our engagement with government and the National Assembly will provide more funding for us to be able to do a good job.”
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Al-Hikmah Radio Lasiele Alabi Yahaya Kwara Wale Oladepo Onilorin Seni Saraki Mashood Dauda Y.A. Abdulkareem Otuka Gafaru Olayiwola Olorisade GGDSS Pakata Olaitan Adefila Tsaragi/Share Nurudeen Muhammed James Ayeni Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro Khairat Gwadabe Kwarareports.com AbdulGaniyu Kareem General Hospital Pakata Patriots Wahab Agbaje Bank Of Industry Yemi Sanni Olatunde Jare Kwara Apc Ilorin Durbar Kawu Shehu Alimi Foundation Jide Oyinloye Saad Omo\'ya Yashikira Omupo Bayo Onimago Tsaragi-Share Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed The Herald Amusa Bello Ashiru Muhammadu Buhari Fatai Garuba Labaka Adamu Jemilat-Baki Mutawalle Olusegun Adeniyi T And K FOODS Tayo Awodiji Mahmud Ajeigbe Opobiyi Kolawole Bashirat Abdullahi AbdulMajeed Shehu Adaramaja Nurudeen Mohammed Solomon Edoja Egbejila Kwara State Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah Kwara State Council Of Chiefs Gbugbu Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh Ekweremadu Musa Abdullahi Babaita Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence Mumeen Lah Special Agro-Industrial Hub Oluwatoyin Lukman Saduki Lafiagi Sheikh Ridhwanullah Awoye Ophthalmological Society Of Nigeria Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi PPS Alfa Modibo Belgore Tope Daramola Abdulmalik Bashir Mopelola Risikatullahi Babs Iwarere Alikinla