INEC Lacks Funds Lawmaker - Reveals
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Jerry Manwe has revealed that the N45 billion allocated to INEC from the 2014 budget won't be enough.
Mr. Manwe (PDP-Taraba) said in Abuja on Wednesday that the allocation was half of what the commission requires to execute the 2015 elections.
The INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, had told stakeholders at a forum in Abuja that the commission would need about N93 billion to conduct hitch-free general elections in 2015.
“If you don’t give him (INEC chairman) the amount of money he requires, you do not expect him to conduct a credible election with that amount of money in the budget,” he said.
Mr. Manwe said that INEC had not made any formal request to the House of Representatives for increase in its budget to prosecute the 2015 general elections.
“Normally such requests are made during budget defence, “he said. He said that the government must not wait until when there were elections before providing funds for the commission to carry out its mandate.
On January 6, Mr. Jega had listed financial constraints and voter education as likely challenges to the 2015 general elections.
Source: Legit.ng
