NEC budget: We didn’t adjourn indefinitely —NASS Joint Committee

CHAIRMAN of the National Assembly joint Committee on Electoral Matters, which is considering the 2019 election budget, Senator Suleiman Nazif, said on Saturday that the Committee did not adjourn indefinitely.

The Senator, in a statement made available to newsmen, said that the Committee would resume sitting on August 27, after the Sallah holidays.

The statement he personally signed read: “Sequel to the ongoing consideration of the Independent National Electoral Commission, 2019 general election budget by the joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, the general public is hereby informed that work on the budget is in advanced stage and in line with mandate issued to the joint committee by the leadership of the National Assembly.

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“Equally the Joint Committee deliberated on all key attributes of the budget while taking into cognisance the imperative urgency for the budget to be ready in time for the 2019 general election hence, necessitating sacrifice and selflessness from our members.

“Furthermore, it is imperative to state here explicitly that, after an audacious session with all critical stakeholders the joint Committee dissolved into executive structure and agreed to resume on 27th August, 2018, (After Sallah) to consider the harmonised version of the budget report diligently.

“More so the report of the joint Committee will be made available for further and appropriate legislative action in earnest.”