Presidency tasks lawmakers on INEC budget, others

The Presidency has welcomed the Senate and the House of Representatives members as they resume for legislative work.

Sen Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), said he welcomed them back from the annual legislative vacation.

Enang spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. The National Assembly had declared its annual recess which began July 24.

Although the federal lawmakers were initially expected to resume on Sept. 25, the resumption was postponed to Oct. 9.

Mohammed Sani-Omolori, the Clerk of the Assembly, who announced the postponement in a statement on Sunday, Sept. 23, attributed the development to the primary elections of political parties.

Sani-Omolori said members of the National Assembly were expected to resume by 10 a.m. on the new date.

Enang, who noted that most of the lawmakers participated in the conventions, congresses and other activities of different political parties in the course of seeking nomination for one office or the other, also wished them all the best.

He reminded the lawmakers of the request by President Muhammadu Buhari on the Supplementary Budget to provide for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other sources of funding which was still before them.

According to him, since almost all the political parties have completed all their exercises, “we are appealing to them to please consider this budget expeditiously and pass it so that the nation’s electoral process can move forward.”

The SSA also urged them to consider the Electoral Amendment Bill that would ensure the proper mode and method of conducting the 2019 elections.

He added that President Buhari had laid before the lawmakers the request for borrowing to fund the 2018 Budget from the various windows before they went on vacation.

According to him, even if the monies were on the table, President Muhammad Buhari will not touch the money unless and until they bring together the approval by the National Assembly for that borrowing to be gotten. (NAN)