2019: Reps okay virement of N831bn for INEC, security agencies

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, approved the N831,259,220,255.00 billion virement request for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and relevant security agencies to hold  the 2019 Elections.
President Muhammadu Buhari had presented a Supplementary Budget to the National Assembly on July 18 in which he sought the approval of the lawmakers to fund the 2019 polls.
The president, in his letter to the National Assembly, titled:”Request for Virement and Supplementary 2018 Budget,” specifically asked the legislature to re-allocate part of the N578 billion voted to the projects inserted into the 2018 Appropriation Act by the lawmakers to fund the elections and critical infrastructure.
Moving the motion, the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Malam  Mustapha Dawaki, recalled that a communication from President Buhari for virement in the Appropriation Act, 2018 was read at plenary.
“The House notes that the request was in respect of virement of funds to finance INEC and security agencies toward the preparation for the 2019 General Elections for which no provisions were made in the 2018 Appropriation Act.
“The House is aware that the virement has become necessary in order to appropriate funds to enable the relevant agencies to commence preparation toward a free and fair election in 2019;
“The House also notes that the total amount of virement being proposed for the INEC and other security agencies is N831,259,220,255.00,” he said.
Giving the breakdown, Dawaki said INEC was to get N234,507, 272,393.00; Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), N46,948,839,426.00 and Department of State Security Service (DSS) to get N50,791,852,568.00.
According to him, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is to get N82,834,042,256.00; Nigeria Police Force (NPF), N351,562,210,645.00 and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is to get N64,615,002,968.00.
Dawaki said the grand total of the money for approval was N831,259,220,255.00.
The motion, however, received an overwhelming approval  when the Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, put the matter to a voice vote.