INEC Budget: No Date Fixed for National Assembly’s Resumption, Say Saraki, Dogara

By Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The leadership of the National Assembly has said  the Assembly cannot reconvene now to consider the 2019 general elections budget proposals before it until the joint committees set up to consider the proposals complete their work.

President of the Senate Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara in a joint statement on Tuesday morning said based on this no date has been fixed for the two Chambers to reconvene.

The statement signed by their media aides, Yusuf Olaniyonu and Turaki Hassan, emphasised that so far, no meeting of the joint Senate and House Committees on Electoral Matters, Appropriation, Loans and Bonds had taken place to prepare the ground for National Assrmbly resumption.

According to the statement, until the Committees have a ready report for the consideration of the two chambers, it will be most irresponsible to recall members from recess especially those that may have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.

The four-paragraph statement read :

“The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, have directed that we inform all Senators, Honorable members and the public that a date has not been set for the reconvening of the Senate and the House of Representatives to consider the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 2019 elections budget request forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 17, 2018.

“The leadership of the two chambers had met and agreed to reconvene to consider the proposal this week before which a meeting between the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters and officials of the INEC must have held on or before Monday August 13, 2018.

“The joint committees were also expected to meet with the joint Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, Loans and Debts on the Eurobond loan request after which two reports would have been ready for presentation in the two chambers.

“However, no such meeting had taken place yet as a result of which both Senate and House of Representatives cannot reconvene as there is no report to consider.

Until the Committees have a ready report for the consideration of the two chambers, it will be most irresponsible to recall members from recess especially those that may have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.