State electoral commissions demand 5% of LG allocation

THE Forum of StateIndependent Electoral Commissions (FOSIEC) has presented before the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), a proposal of five per cent monthly deductions from local government allocations, in order to reduce the financial pressure of funding local council elections by state governments.FOSIEC national chairman, Alhaji Alhassan Zadiq, disclosed this at the weekend at a reception organised by the Niger State governor, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, for members of the forum, who were in the state for the monitoring of the Niger State Local Government election which was held on Saturday in the state.Zadiq, who is also the chairman of Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission, told their host that the funding proposal was presented to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the chairman of the NGF, in view of the problem most state electoral bodies faced in raising funds for the conduct of elections at the grass roots.The State Independent Electoral Commission is constitutionally mandated to conduct elections into local government councils in all the 36 states of the federation.The FOSIEC chairman lamented that often times when it was time for council elections, state governments were usually cash strapped.He said further that experience had shown that state governments slashed budget proposals for the conduct of election by the State Independent Electoral Commission, for lack of fund, noting that with the monthly deduction of five per cent from local government allocations, the electoral body would not only have adequate funds to conduct elections, it would further help the commission to meet other responsibilities.
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