SIECs seek financial autonomy

Biola Azeez, Umuahia - 07.05.2008

Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) has suggested that a certain percentage of state statutory allocations be set aside by law of the states for the use of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to give them financial autonomy.

Speaking at the opening of the eighth annual national delegates’ conference of the commission in Umuahia, Abia State, on Tuesday, the national chairman, who is also the chairman of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC), Professor Ste-phen Emejuaiwe, said the measure would make the bodies to operate freely without prejudice to states’ budgetary provisions.

He said election was an expensive project worldwide, saying that failure to adequately fund electoral bodies would affect their performances and make a mockery of democracy, noting that “if you want democracy, you must fund it.”

The FOSIECON boss, who frowned at the over-bearing influence of political parties, especially the ruling parties, at various levels of governance in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities, regretted that SIECs were not being adequately funded by state governments as a result of the development.