Buhari urges Senate to make provision for N242.4 bn 2019 election cost
President Buhari has written to the National Assembly that the 2019 general elections will cost the country about N242.4 billion.
Buhari is seeking an approval of the sum, which is expected to be drawn from the 2018 and 2019 budgets.
Buhari requested that the Senate approve the sum for the Independent National Electoral Commission to enable it to commence preparations for the elections.
He said in a letter to the lawmakers that the approved N9.12 trillion budget for 2018 would be difficult to implement, and urged the Senate to make reductions from the budget, so there would be provisions for the elections, as well as the 2019 budget.
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, read the proposal at the plenary on Tuesday.
INEC to spend N189.2bn; NSAO, N4.2bn; DSS, N12bn; NSDC, N3.5bn; Police, N30.5bn; NIS; 2bn.
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.
Specifically, the president requested that N164.10 billion of total funds proposed for the elections should be funded from the N578.31 billion inserted in the 2018 Budget by the National Assembly.
“Implementing budget of N9.12 trillion for 2018 will be extremely challenging and therefore, I do not consider it expedient to propose further increase to the 2018 Expenditure Framework to fund these very important and critical expenditure items,” the letter said.
“Accordingly, I urge the Distinguished Senate to consider, in national interest, relocating some of the funds appropriated for new projects inserted into 2018 Budget totalling N578,319,951,904 to cover the N228, 854, 008, 215 required as indicated.”
