Sen. Ita Eg
The Presidency has expressed concern over the National Assembly’s silence on President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for consideration of security agencies’ budgets ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Eg, while addressing the National Assembly Joint Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Abuja on Friday, said the focus had been on INEC Budget.
He asked why the 2019 election budgets for the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as National Security Adviser (NSA) were not being considered.
Eg stated that there would be challenges in the successful conduct of the elections, if the budgets of the security agencies were not considered.
Responding, the Chairman, Senate Committee Chairman on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nazif, said the committee was only concerned with INEC budget, adding that the budgets of the other agencies will be handled by another committee.