By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed a supplementary budget to the tune of six billion, six hundred and forty-four million, seven hundred and seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred naira (N6,644,778,900) only for the conduct of local government elections.
The assembly gave the approval at the day’s plenary presided by the speaker, Chief Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh.
The governor, in a correspondence sent to the assembly, which was read on the floor of the house by the speaker, had sought for the approval of the Supplementary Budget for the conduct of the October 5th council elections.
According to the correspondence, Governor Alia explained that the stipulated amount is expected to be sourced as counterpart funding from the local government funds in conjunction with the state government.
He said the state government’s approved 2024 budget provisions to BSIEC as counterpart funding will stand at one billion, nine hundred and twenty-three million, nine hundred and sixty-one thousand naira(N1,923,961,000), noting that the supplementary request for the commission has increased to eight billion, five hundred and sixty-eight million, seven hundred and forty thousand naira (N8,568,740,000).
He added that the supplementary request for BSIEC will review the 2024 total budget upward to three hundred and ninety-four billion, six hundred and twenty-one million, eight hundred and sixty-eight thousand, three hundred and forty-three naira (N394,621,868,343).
Alia said the supplementary budget reflects his administration’s “commitment towards ensuring hitch free and credible elections for Benue State.”
