BEVERLY HILL, August 19, (THEWILL) – Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari saying the President lacked foresight by submitting the budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) budget a few days before the statutory National Assembly annual recess.
Saraki made this known on Sunday in reaction to a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Media Organisation, were the later cautioned and urged him to reconvene the Senate to attend to urgent national issues.
The organisation had accused Saraki of postponing the resumption of the Senate in spite of the ongoing issues in the country such as the INEC budget and approval for foreign loans tied to several critical infrastructures.
Through its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the group opined that Saraki is the one laying siege on the whole country by using his position to undermine the administration of the President.
But reacting on the issue, Saraki through his special assistant on new media, Olu Onemola said that the organisation’s statement was a careful and deliberate example of conscientious ignorance on full display.
He tasked the group to instead, ask the President what is he afraid of in the progressive proposals contained in the Electoral Bill and why he wants to frustrate the 2019 election by not signing the much-needed enabling laws into effect?”
Read the full statement below:
It is necessary to begin this response to the Buhari Media Organization by reminding us of the aforementioned fact.
This is because their statement is a careful and deliberate example of conscientious ignorance on full display.
By now, the Nigerian people are aware that the Executive branch could have submitted INEC’s 2019 Election budget at the time it submitted the 2018 appropriations proposal last year.
Furthermore, the Executive had from January till June this year to submit the budget request. However, due to a lack of foresight, or the usual display of tardiness or an attempt to ensure that due process would not be followed — the INEC budget request was submitted by the Executive branch only a few days before the statutory National Assembly annual recess.
Regardless of this unforced error on the part of the Executive, the National Assembly has continued its work on this budget.
As it stands: the relevant Senate & House Committees have held individual budgetary hearings with the INEC Chairman & all his Commissioners on this budget.
The @NGRSenate and @HouseNGR have also held follow-up Joint Committee meetings to carefully scrutinize the provisions of the budget. Furthermore, the Joint Committees are now scheduled to meet on Monday when they are expected to come up with a Committee report.
This Report will then be given to the Appropriations Committee, which will spell out how to source the President’s virement request through the concerned MDAs. Any person or organization that is conversant with legislative due process would know this.
It is only after the Appropriations Committee has worked on the budget details that a plenary sitting is required to adopt the final report.
The Senate President, the Senate and the entire National Assembly, are committed to ensuring that the 2019 elections receive all necessary funding. However, this should not be at the expense of due process and stated guidelines.
Groups like the Buhari Media Organization that try to scapegoat the Senate President for the failure of the Executive to submit INEC’s 2019 election budget on time, know that the National Assembly has been working on this request through its Committees.
Nigerians want to know why President Buhari withheld his assent on the first Electoral Act passed by the National Assembly to help legalize the various innovations that are needed for free and fair elections.
These are the questions @BuhariMediaORG should ask their principal. @BuhariMediaORG should ask their principal the following questions:
“What is he afraid of in the very progressive proposals contained in the Electoral Bill?”
“Why does he want to frustrate the 2019 election by not signing the much-needed enabling laws into effect?”
For the record, it is necessary to state that the Buhari Media Organization (@BuhariMediaORG), in its failed attempt to mislead the public, has been crying more than the bereaved.
During this process, INEC, that will utilize the funds and conduct the proposed elections has stated that it is confident and comfortable with the thorough and transparent response exhibited by the National Assembly.
Finally, it is necessary to once again emphasize that the public will continue to see through all attempts to mislead them with empty political grandstanding that is detrimental to the adherence to due process that the National Assembly’s leadership is committed to upholding.”
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