Civil Society Group Hails Reps’ Revisit Of Ballot Papers’ Cost

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, February 18th, 2014

Kayode Adelowokan, Lagos

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) on Tuesday, February 18, 2014, commended the House of Representatives for revisiting the alleged payment of N1.015billion twice for the printing of ballot papers for 2007 presidential election.

Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker, Nigeria’s House of Representatives

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega; the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, and others to offer explanation on the issue.

Two conflicting figures of N1.015bn and N2.03bn had been separately mentioned as the amount spent on the printing. While available records showed that the Central Bank of Nigeria transferred N1.015bn to the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa to print the 65 million ballot papers, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation raised another cheque in the same amount.

In his reacting, CACOL Chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran, described the Reps’ decision as a welcome development.

According to Adeniran, “The summon is a welcome development. The House of Reps seems to be waking up to its responsibilities, part of which is oversighting on the Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Every penny of government must be well accounted for. The committee should unravel the mystery behind the double payments made on the same item.”

The anti-corruption crusader therefore urged the committee to hand over whatever report it comes up with to the relevant anti-graft agencies for the prosecution of anyone found to have perpetrated the fraud.