INEC budget: Fresh hurdles as National Assembly

Members of the National Assembly have called on the leadership of both chambers to extend their resumption from September 25 to the second week of October.

A cross section of the federal lawmakers from both the Senate and House of Representatives, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH on the issue, explained that the September 25 earlier fixed, was no longer feasible.

They argued that it would not be possible for the joint committees on electoral matters and those on appropriation to conclude their assignments before the end of September.

They also said it would not make sense for members of the two chambers to abandon the primaries of their parties in their various constituencies to resume plenary.

The Vice-Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, Dr. Bode Ayorinde, said the date of the resumption was not yet in view because the joint committee on INEC had yet to finish their assignment.


Ayorinde stated, “If there are differences in their decision, the principal officers of the two houses would sit and harmonise the differences and take it to plenary for approval.

“It is also not feasible that we would resume in September owing to the fact that primaries of the parties are scheduled to hold between now and the end of September.

“The dates of the primaries of the ruling party extend till the first week in October. Do you now expect someone, who is campaigning for his election, to now rush down to the National Assembly for plenary?

“So, the plenary to consider the reports of INEC may not come up until after the primaries.”

Asked if it was not possible for the two chambers to announce a date and jointly sit in plenary to approve the polls budget request, Ayorinde said, “There is no provision for a joint sitting to approve budget.


“I am very optimistic that within a week or two after our resumption, we would sort it out. The principal officers of the two chambers can even sit and harmonise positions before the reports are presented at plenary to make the process faster.”

Some of the senators, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH, are Enyinnaya Abaribe, Shehu Sani, Adesoji Akanbi, Mao Ohuabunwa and James Manager.

Abaribe explained that with the pace of the committee’s work and the timetable of the primaries, the National Assembly would not be able to reconvene in September.

He stated, “The joint committees still have a long way to go. The joint committee on INEC after their assignments will pass everything to the appropriation committee which will bring the report to the leadership.


“The leadership of the two houses would have to meet and decide on when to reconvene and it must be on the same day.


“From the way we are seeing it, there is no way we could reconvene until after the primaries which will even extend to the first week in October.”

Akanbi noted that there was no point reconvening for plenary now when all the parties were holding their primaries.

He added, “Since we have the joint committees of both chambers working on the document, the outcome of their task could represent the position of the whole house while the leadership of both houses could also have a joint sitting and approve the INEC request.

“There is no big deal about it since it is not the annual national budget. We did not sit at plenary before the leadership directed the joint committee to start work on the document. Why should we reconvene to receive their report?”

Sani believed that no member of the federal legislature would resume until after the primaries in October.

“Nobody would come back to the Senate or House of Representatives when primaries are ongoing. Reconvening the chambers is going to be an exercise in futility,” he said.

Ohuabunwa declared that the lawmakers would not resume on the scheduled date.

He said, “If the parties are holding primaries and we also want to return (reelected) to represent the parties at the parliament, then, it is going to be that the resumption will be extended.

“If my primary election is on the 25th or even 28th (September), what would I be doing in Abuja? Definitely, if the dates clash there will be an extension (of resumption).”

Manager said President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, would take a decision on the issue.

“The leadership of the Senate and the leadership of the House of Representatives know what to do. I am sure that they know what to do,” Manager said.

Another lawmaker from one of the North-East states, who declined to be named for fear of negative reactions from his colleagues, argued that the lawmakers could resume despite the primaries.

A senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity because his group members are pushing for an early reconvening of the Senate, also said there was no way members would reconvene when the party primaries were taking place across the country.

He said, “We have suggested that the leadership of the two houses should authorise the executive to make necessary withdrawals from the Service Wide Vote to take care of any emergency procurement that INEC may want to take care of before resumption.

“The senators, who demanded the immediate reconvening of the Senate, knew that the INEC budget would not be ready until late September. They have their own agenda.

“Senators on our side are against joint sitting. So, those on Saraki’s side are really not bothered about sitting. They had already devised another means of extending the resumption beyond the earlier agreed date.

“The anti-Saraki senators want the Senate to reconvene so that they could remove the presiding officers with the two-thirds of the members at plenary, which is illegal. I have warned them against such move anyway.”

olasaad:
Ok some people will come and blame Saraki for this now

fk002:

“From the way we are seeing it, there is no way we could reconvene until after the primaries which will even extend to the first week in October.”
Sani added that no member of the federal legislature would resume until after the primaries in October.
“Nobody would come back to the Senate or House of Representatives when primaries are ongoing.
“Reconvening the chambers is going to be an exercise in futility,” he said.



See how stewpid, selfish and corrupt these people can be.



Just imagine pls.



They are just waiting for the primaries, to see whether it will favour them or not.

olasaad:
Ok some people will come and blame Saraki for this now

adem30:
Just listen to these fools. So because of Primary election you can not sit in chambers. Are these people Mad?

It is now that I believe that Saraki has lost it and he is afraid to reconvene the senate

midolian:
Why not wait till after general elections? This is because after the primaries, many will be aggrieved and would want to go to court..So you guys can wait till the courts decides in favour of all of you..

Useless things in the chamber!

viceddy95:
Just imagine,,if these people mistakely shift the re opening of that house because of there selfish interests,,the mass defections that will take place in both PDP and APC after there primary elections will be alarming....sure odd .....

10 REASONS WHY I WANT BUHARI REMOVED & JAILED:


1. He increased fuel price from ₦97 to ₦145 per litre: this is after he condemned former President Goodluck for same, what a hypocrite

2. Nigerian naira lost value to $; from ₦187 = $1 in 2015 under the much hated Goodluck's government, to $1 = ₦365: Buhari promised Nigerians during campaign that he will make sure Naira gains value against $, and infamously said he will make $1 = ₦1 if elected as president, but now, ₦ has no value...making it difficult for average Nigerians to go on vacation or tourism

3. Bag of rice went up from ₦8k to ₦20k under Buhari's 2 years in office

4. Insecurity increased in middlebelt: thousands of fellow Nigerians from Benue, Taraba, Jos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara killed mercilessly while sleeping while the government does nothing, who knows the next states or communities to be wiped out by his Fulani herdsmen brothers after he wins again in 2019; this is very scary to behold!

5. Innocent Nigerian youths who joined Nigerian Military killed daily by Boko Haram without any recognition: it hurts me anytime I hear that a gallant Nigerian youth soldier is killed by useless ragtab militant terrorist group, Boko Haram. It hurts me more when the government that ought to give these gallant soldiers a deserving burial and also compensate their family/loved ones as fallen heroes denies their death, and rather bury them in a mass grave, what an eyesore. Buhari a presumed retired military general will keep hiding and denying the death of our heroes just because of politics

6. Fighting corruption with corruption and nepotism: Buhari's useless style of using nepotism and corruption to fight corruption is stinking

7. Marginalization of great Igbo tribe: without the great Igbo tribe, Nigeria is nothing but a working corpse, so for Buhari to openly pronounce that he will not treat Igbo people equally like other tribes that voted him was his greatest mistake that he will live to regret >:

8. More looting of Nigeria's treasury under Buhari's watch: this is why Buhari needs to be impeached and jailed for deceiving Nigerians with "I will pight kworrupshun" while his tribesmen, his friends, his beloved supporters are busy looting Nigeria dry

9. Mass unemployment: ever since Buhari came into power 3 years ago, more than 5million Nigerians have lost their jobs, and it has become more difficult and in fact, impossible for young graduates without strong connection to get a job in Nigeria under Buhari's government!

Have you noticed the high rate at which Nigerians are running away from Nigeria to foreign nations as if there is war in Nigeria This is as a result of increasing unemployment, hardship, insecurity and hopelessness of Nigerians.

Do you know that very soon Nigeria won't have any capable doctor in our hospitals because most Nigerian doctors are running away from Nigeria due to mass unemployment and underemployment of doctors!

This cannot continue, Buhari has to go and if possible jailed or sent to ICC to face criminal justice in Hague!


10. Unfair appointments & aiding of open corruption: Buhari intentionally disrespected Nigeria's federal character in his political appointments and cabinet selection. He worsened it by appointing the wrong persons into the wrong portfolio, making them not to perform.

Again, for Buhari not to condemn Abba Kyari, Maina, Adeosun (for forging her NYSC certificate, a whole minister under Mr Integrity), NNPC GMD (for illegal award of $$billion contracts), then he doesn't mean well for Nigeria but after his personal interest.

Also are u aware that President Buhari is already campaigning for his wife's brother to become the next governor of Adamawa state

This is never done; how can a sitting president be campaigning for his relative openly even before party primary elections, what kind of human being is Buhari He is just after progressing Fulani tribe agenda and that of his family and close friends, such a man is not fit to be a president of a multi tribal and multi religious nation like Nigeria, he is better as a Fulani cattle rearers spokesman than a president

These are the 10 major reasons every well meaning Nigerian who want a prosperous, happier, safer, united Nigeria must stand up and vote out Buhari and ensure he goes to jail!

jayson87:
Use your head, he is making a cogent point there