Electoral reform: We’ve been used, dumped, Nnamani panel cries out

A member of the committee on Constitution and Electoral Reform
set up by President Muhammadu Buhari last year to review the
electoral system in the country has expressed concern that its
report may end up in the achive to gather dust like other reports
on electoral reforms before it.

The source also complained about the handling of the welfare of
the 24-member committee, saying, “we’ve been used and dumped with
our report.”

The 24-member Committee headed by former Senate president, Ken
Nnamani, was conceived “to review electoral environment, laws and
experiences from recent elections conducted in Nigeria and make
recommendations to strengthen and achieve the conduct of free and
fair elections in Nigeria.”

While inaugurating the committee on October 4, 2016, the
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said President
Muhammadu Buhari had in his inauguration speech stated his desire
to deepen the country’s democracy and entrench the culture of an
enduring electoral system.

“It is important to evaluate our democratic journey thus far
with a view to fashioning out a more enduring system that will
serve present and future generations,” he said.

The committee, according to its mandate, was to deliver its
report in ten weeks, but the failure of government to release funds
for its operations led to a delay.

Speaking to Daily Sun in Abuja at the weekend, the source
accused government of neglect.

“We have been used and dumped. The government has not paid a
kobo for the work we did and the report which we submitted over two
months ago.”

Chairman of the committee, Senator Nnamani had also expressed
similar concern while submitting the report of the committee to the
minister on May 2.

He said the work of the committee was delayed because government
did not release the funds necessary for its operations, adding that
the committee had to fall back on some international donors like
the DFID and NDI for financial assistance to perform the
assignment.

Responding to a reporters’ question on why the committee members
have not been paid for the committees work at a press conference
two weeks ago, the minister said the approval for payment had been
secured and if the members were not paid as at the time he was
talking to the press, they would soon be paid.

However, some members of the committee who spoke to Daily Sun at
the weekend, insisted that no payment has been made to them.

Apart from the non-payment of their allowances, the members are
disturbed that their report may be dumped because the government
has not taken concrete steps to ensure legislative deliberation and
approval of the recommendations contained in the report.

“They have not taken our report for legislative action to the
National Assembly which has been passing bills on electoral reforms
of late. If they did not want our report to be put to use, why did
they waste our time?” the source queried.

Also at the press conference two weeks ago, Malami confirmed
that the Executive arm had not forwarded any bill to the National
Assembly based on the Nnamani committee report because the Federal
Executive Council was yet to list the report for its deliberations.
He, however, revealed that the executive was using the report to
sound out the National Assembly on the recommendations contained in
the report.

He further revealed that apart from writing a report, the
committee also recommended bills to be forwarded to the National
assembly adding that all action on these bills will have to wait
till the Federal Executive Council deliberates on them.

When contacted last night to react to the “used and dumped”
claim made by a member of the committee against the government,
Senator Nnamani declined comment. He refused to be drawn into
whether the allegations were correct or otherwise.

“I have no comment. I don’t want to be involved in this issue. I
want to be left alone,” he said and switched off his phone.

Culled: Sun

A member of the committee on Constitution and Electoral Reform
set up by President Muhammadu Buhari last year to review the
electoral system in the country has expressed concern that its
report may end up in the achive to gather dust like other reports
on electoral reforms before it.

The source also complained about the handling of the welfare of
the 24-member committee, saying, “we’ve been used and dumped with
our report.”

The 24-member Committee headed by former Senate president, Ken
Nnamani, was conceived “to review electoral environment, laws and
experiences from recent elections conducted in Nigeria and make
recommendations to strengthen and achieve the conduct of free and
fair elections in Nigeria.”

While inaugurating the committee on October 4, 2016, the
Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said President
Muhammadu Buhari had in his inauguration speech stated his desire
to deepen the country’s democracy and entrench the culture of an
enduring electoral system.

“It is important to evaluate our democratic journey thus far
with a view to fashioning out a more enduring system that will
serve present and future generations,” he said.

The committee, according to its mandate, was to deliver its
report in ten weeks, but the failure of government to release funds
for its operations led to a delay.

Speaking to Daily Sun in Abuja at the weekend, the source
accused government of neglect.

“We have been used and dumped. The government has not paid a
kobo for the work we did and the report which we submitted over two
months ago.”

Chairman of the committee, Senator Nnamani had also expressed
similar concern while submitting the report of the committee to the
minister on May 2.

He said the work of the committee was delayed because government
did not release the funds necessary for its operations, adding that
the committee had to fall back on some international donors like
the DFID and NDI for financial assistance to perform the
assignment.

Responding to a reporters’ question on why the committee members
have not been paid for the committees work at a press conference
two weeks ago, the minister said the approval for payment had been
secured and if the members were not paid as at the time he was
talking to the press, they would soon be paid.

However, some members of the committee who spoke to Daily Sun at
the weekend, insisted that no payment has been made to them.

Apart from the non-payment of their allowances, the members are
disturbed that their report may be dumped because the government
has not taken concrete steps to ensure legislative deliberation and
approval of the recommendations contained in the report.

“They have not taken our report for legislative action to the
National Assembly which has been passing bills on electoral reforms
of late. If they did not want our report to be put to use, why did
they waste our time?” the source queried.

Also at the press conference two weeks ago, Malami confirmed
that the Executive arm had not forwarded any bill to the National
Assembly based on the Nnamani committee report because the Federal
Executive Council was yet to list the report for its deliberations.
He, however, revealed that the executive was using the report to
sound out the National Assembly on the recommendations contained in
the report.

He further revealed that apart from writing a report, the
committee also recommended bills to be forwarded to the National
assembly adding that all action on these bills will have to wait
till the Federal Executive Council deliberates on them.

When contacted last night to react to the “used and dumped”
claim made by a member of the committee against the government,
Senator Nnamani declined comment. He refused to be drawn into
whether the allegations were correct or otherwise.

“I have no comment. I don’t want to be involved in this issue. I
want to be left alone,” he said and switched off his phone.

Culled: Sun