SENATE has approved N234 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2019 general election on Thursday.

N45.5 billion was added to the initial N189 billion approved by the Senate Committee on INEC, bringing the total amount approved for the electoral commission to N234,507,272,393.

The 45.5 billion is for statutory transfers which are the mandatory expenditures made annually by the federal government for certain institutions including INEC. The transfers are to ensure the independence of such agencies.

The money was approved after Danjuma Goje, chairman of the appropriation committee, presented a report for consideration.

Goje said the N189 billion vired through recurrent, capital and service-wide votes of the 2018 budget

The Deputy Senate, Ike Ekweremadu,  had suggested that the approval should be suspended till next week to have a full report. He said the interim report presented by Goje did not have the budget for the security agencies.

But Ahmed Lawan, Senate leader, objected to Ekweremadu’s position.

“We should approve the budget now and approve that of the security agencies next week,” Lawan said.

Barau Jibrin, the senator representing Kano north, said INEC needed the fund urgently. “It requires urgency. We will wait for the security agencies to bring their budgets,” Jibrin said.

Subsequently, the money was approved after the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, sought the views of other members.

Also at the plenary session, Senate confirmed  the nomination of  23 names as commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC)

The nomination of the commissioners was made by President Buhari in April 2018 after the positions had been vacant for about three years, making it difficult for the board of the commission to form a quorum for its meetings.

According to a request for confirmation of the nomination to the Senate by President Buhari in April, The confirmation was necessary “In accordance with the provision of Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), I write to forward to the Senate for confirmation, the following names of 23 nominees representing their respective states at the National Population Commission.”

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, while congratulating the new members of the commission, said the issue of population is vital to Nigeria as a country. “We hope these commissioners live up to expectation and provide a credible census,” he said.

Below is the list of the confirmed names and their states:

1. Nwanne Johnny Nwabuisi ( Abia)
2. Clifford T.O. Zirra (Adamawa)
3. Chidi Christopher Ezeoke mni (Anambra)
4. Isah Audu Buratai(Borno)

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5. Navy Captain Charles Iyam Ogwa (rtd) (Cross River)
6. Sir Richard Odibo (Delta)
7. Okereke Darlington Onuabuchi (Ebonyi)
8. A.D. Olusegun Aiyejina (Edo)
9. Ekike Ezeh (Enugu)
10. Abubakar Mohammed Danburam (Gombe)
11. Uba S.F Nnabue (Imo)
12. Abdulmalik Mohammed Durunguwa (Kaduna)
13. Suleiman Ismaila Lawal (Kano)
14. Jimoh Habibat Isah(Kogi)
15. Sa’adu Ayinla Alanamu (Kwara)
16. Nasir Isa Kwarra(Nasarawa)
17. Aliyu Datti(Niger)
18. Yeye(Mrs)  Seyi Adererinokun Olusanya(Ogun)
19. Prince(Dr) Olanadiran Garvey Iyantan(Ondo)
20. Senator Mudashiru Oyetunde Hussain (Osun)
21. Cecilia Arsun Dapoet (Plateau)
22. Ipalibo Macdonald Harry (Rivers)
23. Sale S. Saany (Taraba)

The plenary session was adjourned to Tuesday, September 16.