INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu
INEC says N18bn supplementary budget to address welfare of staff
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had told the National Assembly that its supplementary budget of N18 billion is intended to address issues of staff welfare and allowances.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters and the Senate Committee on INEC, to defend the commission’s supplementary budget proposal, further explained that it had earlier sent a proposal of N18 billion to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and defended it before being referred it to the National Assembly for approval.
INEC is expected to conduct the off-season November 11 governorship election in three states of Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo.
However, criticisms have also mounted over the commission’s expenditure of nearly N400 billion approved for it in the 2023 budget by the outgone President Muhammadu Buhari administration, on the back of the questionable General Elections which had left in its trail over 1, 200 cases in various courts of law.
Professor Yakubu, during the budget defense, stated that N10.6 billion out of the sum would enable the commission to pay its members of staff the 40 per cent increase in peculiarity allowance approved by the Nigerian Government in April in 2023.
Yakubu said that over N3 billion of the budget was meant to pay INEC staff members the award of N35,000 approved for each public servant across the country for six months by the Government, as well as the new duty tour allowance.
He said the commission would spend N1.6 billion on the conduct of 11 outstanding bye-elections, comprising five federal constituencies, four state constituencies and two senatorial districts.
According to Yakubu, another N1.4 billion is for the augmentation of the cost differentials in the budget for the Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States governorship elections,
Yakubu had during a consultative meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja, appealed to the officials to inform staff in their respective states of measures being put in place by the commission to address the economic challenges facing them.
Yakubu explained that the six agencies including INEC have not received funds to offset payment of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance as approved.
He noted that the commission was not unmindful of the economic hardship being experienced by the staff.
