Buhari’s Aide Expresses Concern Over NASS Delay On Security Budget
Lekan Paul
Posted On Aug 18, 2018
The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, has expressed concern over the National Assembly’s silence on the President’s request for consideration of security agencies’ budgets ahead of the 2019 General Elections.
Senator Enang, while addressing the National Assembly Joint Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Abuja on Friday, said the focus had been on INEC Budget.
He sought to know why the 2019 election budgets for the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) and National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as National Security Adviser (NSA) were not being considered.
“These are budgets relating to the conduct of the 2019 elections and all I have heard and noticed emphasised is the budget of INEC.
“I just want to raise the question whether the other budgets have no problem and would be passed with the budget of INEC or whether it will be considered later by your committee or another committee”, he asked.
“If we pass INEC budget now and do not pass the other related budgets, we will still have problem. “I plead that as this is considered, we should be able to consider the other budgets,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman, Senate Committee Chairman on INEC, Mr Suleiman Nazif, said the committee was only concerned with INEC budget.
“This committee is essentially involved with INEC.
President Muhammadu Buhari had requested Senate’s approval of N242.45 billion for the 2019 General Elections.
Part of the funds, according to the President’s request, will be given to security agencies for the same purpose.
The sum of N189.21 billion was earmarked for INEC, N4.3 billion for Office of the Security Adviser, N12.21 billion for DSS and N3.6 billion for Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The Nigeria Police Force got a proposal of N30.5 billion while N2.6 billion was earmarked for Nigeria Immigration Service.
