**Assures report of constitution review is to be laid next week
Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
The House of Representatives on Thursday said that key government agencies will be affected by the request to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari for the virement of the sum of one hundred and fifty billion naira (N150 Bn) from the 2020 Appropriation Act passed on December 21, 2021 by the parliament.
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs Hon.Benjamin Kalu gave the hint to newsmen at the Press Briefing of the House on the request by the President to make adjustments to the 2022 Appropriation Act from the parliament as passed by it.
The lawmaker said that the request for by the President for reallocation of funds to key priority areas in the Appropriation Act is constitutional and in line with global best practices.
He noted that key government agencies notably Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, North East Development Commission NEDC, Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure NASENI ‘ll have part of the funds allocated to them in the Act reduced.
The Abia born lawmaker further stated the Finance Committee of the House ‘ll take a techincal evaluation of tge request in the law as passed and liase with the Appropriation counterpart to make the necessary adjustments.
On the introduction of electronic voting in the constitution amendment excercise being undertaken by the apex legislature he said it was to ensure the transparency of the voting excercise.
He said: “All over the world, the use of electronic voting is to measure the feeling of the representative by his constituents”
The House image maker pointed out that whenever a legislator hides under the cover of ‘ayes and nays’ in voting at issues in parliament, he shortchanges his or her constituents.
Kalu thanked the leadership of the two chambers of the apex legislature for the introduction of electronic voting in the constitution amendment process describing it as innovative in the history of the Nigerian Legislature.
He also assured that the report on the 1999 Constitution amendment Special Ad-hoc Committee which is headed by the House Deputy Speaker Hon Ahmed Idris Wase ‘ll be laid in the green chambers of the parliament next week.
