INEC Budget: Saraki, Dogara speak on why National Assembly can’t Reconvene 

Pic .27. From left: Speaker, House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara; Senate President Bukola Saraki; Sen Dino Melaye and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu

The National Assembly has released a statement on the reason why it can’t reconvene to deliberate on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) budget.

The Senate and House of Reps leadership had met with INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu last week and Yakubu had said the budget would be approved by this week.

However, in a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu and Turaki Hassan, Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara‘s media aides respectively, the leadership said that a meeting between the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters and officials of INEC must have held on or before Monday August 13, 2018 for the lawmakers to reconvene.

“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,” the statement said.

Read the statement below:

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.

Photo Credit: Hogan-Bassey/NAN Photo