By Tordue Salem

ABUJA—The House of Representatives, yesterday, deferred the clause-by-clause consideration and passage of the N89 billion budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, till today.

Over N15 billion was proposed in 2009 as supplementary for the conduct of next year’s elections, while the Commission proposed N74 billion for a “fresh voters’ register” this year.

The decision of the House is in defiance of an earlier warning by the INEC Chief that the budget must be passed before August 11, 2010, if the 2011celections must be successful.

The Senate had on Tuesday, passed over N87 billion for the Commission, N2 billion short of the original proposal by the Presidency, but members of the House on their part, insisted that items in the proposal must be painstakingly considered before being passed today.

The motion for the consideration of the budget was moved by the Leader of the House, Rep. Tunde Akogun (PDP/Akoko-Edo/Aiyegunle/Edo State).

The first to contribute to the motion was the Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Muhammed Ali Ndume.
Ndume insisted that the proposal by INEC to buy 150,000 transparent collapsible boxes at N3 billion”, is too high and must be reviewed as he added that the INEC budget cannot just be approved, for fear that a “thorough” dissection of the money bill will jeopardize the 2011 elections.”

Rep. Terngu Tsegba (PDP/Gboko/Tarkaa-Benue State), insisted that “in as much as a credible voters’ register is the bedrock of credible elections”, the House of Representatives in considering the money Bill, must be meticulous.

He said in preparing the INEC estimates, the electoral umpire may have mixed up issues and put the Nigerian economy in jeopardy.