[COMMENTARY]: Jega: “2011 Elections: I will account for every penny”

True talk or rhetoric? In any case, will Nigerians be able to hold him accountable after the elections? How transparent will the spending process be? Here is a statement recently issued by Nigeria’s INEC chair, Professor Attahiru Jega on his 2011 election budget via Businessday

Attahiru Jega, chairman of the commission has assured that he would account for every penny appropriated and approved by the National Assembly for the exercise.

Speaking at a budget defence meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters on Monday in Abuja, Jega said he would be able to defend anything he appends his signature on as far funds for the 2011 election are concerned.

He said that the N74 billion proposed by INEC to carry out a new voters’registeration and the additional N15 billion totaling N89 billion had been painstakingly computed and evaluated, adding that the costing and projection were calculated to make the commission perform optimally.

Jega explained that the additional N15 billion was captured in the supplementary budget of the commission to cater for what he described as funding gaps.