Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The members of the House of Representatives Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday , disagreed with the chairman of the Committee, Aisha Dukku, over the defence of the electoral body’s 2021 budget proposal.
Dukku, after opening formalities at the budget defence session, had invited the INEC chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, to give an overview of INEC budget performance for 2020 and present the 2021 budget proposal.
However, before Yakubu would begin his presentation, a member of the committee, Solomon Bob, interjected, saying that the lawmakers just received copies of the documents they were expected to scrunitise.
Bob, who stated that there is a lot of discontent among members of the committee, said he does not understand the propriety of conducting the 2021 budget defence, when there have not been any oversight to review the 2020 budget performance of INEC.
He said: ” I want to draw the chairman and the visitors by way of point of order. This committee met with the INEC team and approved the 2010 budget. As we speak, we just got copies of the 2021 budget. In law we called this dumping.
“But before that we have had no opportunity to oversee the 2020 budget, no oversight of any kind to gauge or access the level of implementation or performance of that budget.
“We are now being called upon to oversee another one. To me, I think that things need to be done properly and I am saying this because there is a lot of discontents amongst my colleagues. I can see even the vice chairman is not here.”
Bob was still speaking, when the committee chairman interjected, and requested Yakubu to go ahead with the presentation of 2020 performance of INEC and the 2021 budget estimates.
“Listen to me please, Hon. Solomon. 2020 has been a year of Covid-19. I rule you out of order, I am the chairman. Chairman INEC, please present your proposal,” Dukku stated.
Reps panel disagree over INEC budget
