29th September, 2015
Human Rights activist, Femi Falana, on Monday supported zero budget for some federal agencies, saying it was an idea that would enhance development.
Falana stated this in a Keynote address he delivered on “Electoral Reform in the Country’’, organised by Alliance for Credible Election (ACE), in Abuja.
He said that giving all agencies funds often encouraged profligacy, citing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he said purchased vehicles, ballot boxes and computers for every election.
According to him, this ought not to be as it amounts to stealing money from the government. “You can’t be buying vehicle every year for the same department, buying ballot boxes and laptops for every election,” he said, asking “what happened to the previous ones that were bought?”
Falana remarked that INEC bought all electoral equipment in 2011 for that year’s election and repeated same process in 2015 “without telling Nigerians what happened to the previous ones.”
He advised the commission to prosecute all persons found wanting in previous elections in order to give room for free and fair elections in the country in future.
He said that the Electoral Act as Amended stipulates sanctions for electoral offences and called for enforcement of the law.
Falana, A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) urged all parastatals and agencies to always account for their funds given to them before asking for more.
He called on Nigerians to support the government in the fight anti-corruption fight “to promote a better democratic nation”.
Earlier in her remarks, acting General-Secretary, ACE, Ms Mma Odi, said that the forum was organised to engender increased civic consciousness to engage the electoral reform process.
Odi said that her organisation had through its activities, stimulated public knowledge and deeper understanding of key reform issues by legislators and citizens.
She stated that the group had also contributed to improving the credibility of the electoral process in the country, adding that it also contributed in the 2010 amendment of the Electoral Act.