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INEC Chairman meets NSA
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has assured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of support in terms of the required new naira notes and other supports for the successful conduct of the forthcoming general general elections.
The Governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received IINEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and management of the commission at the bank headquarters in Abuja.
The CBN, Emefiele recalled, has always been supporting INEC to deliver on its mandates without hitches and would do same towards successful conduct 2023 general elections.
According to him, “Before now, we have been involved in the storage of INEC election materials and it involved using our armoured bullion van in transporting electoral materials.
“We are happy that in the course of this relationship, we have not disappointed you and that is the reason you have come again this time.
“Now, just aside from the issue of storage of election materials together with transportation of election materials from CBN locations to your own specific or designated locations, I know that just a few months ago, I visited your office.
“You raised the issue of how foreign exchange can be procured for you to import Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other forms of election materials that need to be imported and I gave you my word that foreign exchange will be provided for that purpose.
“I stand here to confirm that as at today (Tuesday), all dollars that are needed to import those items have been provided and those items have been imported. So, it’s all part of our commitment”, the Governor of the nation’s apex bank said.
Emefiele added that CBN would provide INEC with needed support for logistics delivery for 2023 general elections.
His words, “Now this issue of paying logistics for people who are going to be transporting election materials to wards, certainly I give it to you that because we regard the INEC project as an urgent national assignment, it cannot fail.
“The CBN will not allow itself either to be used or to be seen as an agent that frustrated positive outcome of the election.
“So I give you the commitment that if in this case, after making your electronic payment you require some money to pay transporters, in this case cash, I give to you is that we will make it available.
“I will make sure we will not allow ourselves to be seen as an agent to frustrate a positive outcome of the election, Emefiele said.
In his remarks earlier, the INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu explained that the Commission’s visit was to seek the CBN support for the 2023 general elections in view of the recent policy involving the redesign of some denominations naira, and the limits placed on cash withdrawal.
The INEC Chairman described Nigerian election as a huge and complex undertaking that required the engagement of critical services.
In the words of Yakubu, “In line with the provisions of extant laws and regulations, service providers are generally paid by means of electronic transfer to their accounts.
“However, there are equally critical areas such as transportation and human support services that have to be immediately remunerated either partially or in full before services are rendered.
“In addition, emergency situations may arise requiring immediate cash payments. Some of the critical service providers are unbanked.
“Over the years, we have worked with the CBN and commercial banks to pay for such services seamlessly during general elections as well as off-cycle and bye-elections.
“Over the years, the Commission has also migrated all its accounts at National and State levels to the CBN and this arrangement has worked without encumbrances to our activities.
“In view of the recent policy involving the redesign of some denominations of our national currency, and the limits placed on cash withdrawals, we consider this meeting important in addressing some of the areas of concern with just 17 days to the 2023 General Election.
“We are confident that arising from this meeting, we can assuage the anxiety expressed by some of our service providers”, he said.
Yakubu made it clear that INEC was determined to make the 2023 General Election one of the best organised elections in Nigeria, stressing however that the commission could not do it alone.
His words, “That is why the Commission is mobilising every critical national institution for the success of the election. This meeting is part of this effort.”
The INEC Chairman expressed confident that the meeting would arrive at the best way forward to facilitate the delivery of seamless elections.
The INEC Chairman also led the commission’s management to meet with the National Security Adviser of the Country, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Mongunoin his office.
