The Nigerian Senate has approved the sum of over fifty three billion naira (=N=53b) for all the five relevant security agencies that are scheduled to participate in the 2019 general election starting in four months time.
Senate’s approval of the budget follows its receipt and consideration of the report of the committee on appropriations; on the budget of the security agencies for the 2019 general election. The report was presented by the committee’s chairman, Senator Danjuma Goje, during Tuesday’s plenary session.
According to the report which was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers present, office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) was allocated the sum of over “nine billion naira (=N=9,481,500,000.00), Department of State Services (DSS) got over ten billion naira (=N=10,213,282,455.00), while the sum of over three billion naira (=N=3,573,534,500.00)” was appropriated for the Nigeria Security and Civil defence Corps (NSCDC).
Others are, the Nigeria Police Force which got the sum of over “twenty seven billion naira (=N=27, 341,317,432.00) as appropriation for their scheduled role in the 2019 elections, and the Nigeria Immigration Service had over two billion naira (=N=2,628,143,320.00)” appropriated for it ahead of the polls.
Voice of Nigeria understands that the senate tinkered with the initial budget proposal submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari, in which the original figure of over twelve billion naira proposed for the DSS, and over thirty billion proposals for the Police Force were reduced by five billion naira. The sum was then added to the originally proposed four billion for the NSA’s office to bring his appropriation to a sum of over nine billion naira as adopted by the senate.
At the end of the voting and adoption of the report, President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki commended his colleagues for their sustained determination to ensure that the 2019 elections succeed in a free, fair, and credible manner.
AID WORKER’S MURDER
Meanwhile, the senate has condemned the murder of Hauwa Leman, an aid worker with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The senators also observed a two-minute silence in honour of Leman who was killed by Boko Haram insurgents.
This followed a motion raised by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and subsequent debate on the issue where the Senate resolved to pay official condolence visit to the family of the deceased.
Senate noted that humanitarian workers, “who work in crisis zones to provide necessary support for victims, are most selfless and courageous persons and therefore should never be targets of harm, stressing the need for adequate security to protect them.”
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki also charged the federal government to take necessary measures to secure the freedom of both Leah Sharibu and other surviving members of the ICRC being held hostage by the insurgents.
He also assured the international community, that the Senate will continue to work with the nation’s Armed Forces, to stop the killings, and improve security across the country.