16—Vanguard , THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013
2011 elections cost Nigeria N122.9bn — INEC N
IGERIA SPENT the sum of N122.9bn to conduct the 2011 general elections. This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, by the Chief Press Secretary to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu. Idowu said the amount showed that N9bn was saved from N131.4bn initially budgeted for the exercise.
Delta DPP exco dissolved BY DAPO AKINREFON
T
HE CHIEF Tony Ezeagu-led Delta State Executive Committee of the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, has been dissolved and a caretaker committee put in place. At a press conference announcing the dissolution, yesterday, in Abuja, National Chairman of DPP, Sir Olisaemeka Akamukali, explained that the National Executive of the party had earlier in the day ratified the dissolution of the Delta State Executive. This followed alleged "rascality and illegal operations of the party by the dissolved executive committee without recourse to laid down rules and guidelines. “Can a State chairman, even if properly constituted, suspend a national officer? The rascality of the Delta State Executive can no longer be tolerated," Akamukali said. According to him: "The National Executive Committee of the party, under my leadership, at its meeting held this morning, approved the dissolution of the Delta State Executive Committee of the party and its replacement with a caretaker committee headed by Mr. Cyprian Mbudiche Ashibuogwu." He added that the committee will oversee the winding down of the party in Delta State and its proper fusion into the All Progressives Party,APC, at the appropriate time."
The amount spent, he added, included N66.3bn on recurrent expenditure and N56.6bn also on capital expenditure. He said: “Contrary to lingering speculations, the actual cost of the 2011 elections, including all costs involved in the voter registration exercise, is N66.3 billion for recurrent expenditure and N56.6 billion for capital expenditure – making a total of N122.9 billion or, if you like, $800.6 million at an exchange rate of N153.5 to $1 which prevailed at the time. “This represented a saving of N9 billion on a total of N131.4 billion that was appropriated.” He added that the commission appreciated and fully shared Nigerians’ concern over the huge financial costs of elections in Nigeria. Already, he said the thrust of INEC’s strategic planning was to seek ways of remarkably cutting back on expenditure while safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process. “INEC has, thus, been looking at cost-saving international best practices that can be adapted to Nigerian peculiarities without exposing
the system to abuse,” he added. He also said it would be wrong to say the commission under Prof. Attahiru Jega has been on a needless spending binge. He added that every expenditure by the present INEC has been necessitated and strictly undertaken as an investment – with an eye on saving the country further costs in the future. On the recent Federal Executive Council approval of N2.1 billion budget for INEC to produce 33.5 million Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs that would be issued to register voters, Idowu said the approved fund was for the second batch of PVCs. The PVCs, he said, would be used by the 73.5million eligible voters registered by the Commission during the exercise conducted between January-February 2011. It will be recalled that before the last FEC approval, the government had in 2012 approved N2.6 billion for production of the first batch of 40 million cards, while the latest approval was for the second phase of the same project.
Anenih urges senators to protect Jonathan’s agenda BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE
A
BUJA — THE chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, yesterday, met with the party ’s leadership in the Senate where he charged them to use their numerical strength to drive President Goodluck Jonathan’s agenda. In that direction the Senate leadership also, yesterday, resolved to commence consideration of the 2013 supplementary budget presented to the National Assembly last March. Among issues discussed in the meeting between the BoT and the PDP Senate leadership who were led by the
Senate President, Senator David Mark, were national security, the debate on convocation of a Sovereign National Conference and the speedy passage of the 2013 Supplementary Appropriation Bill. The meeting in the office of the Senate President, it was learnt, was also a continuation of recent moves by the Anenih led BoT in forging unity in the party. As part of the moves, Anenih and BoT members have met a number of the party ’s governors and other stakeholders. Sources disclosed that the visiting delegation stressed the need for cordiality in relations between the legislature and the executive.