Doguwa on Buhari’s directive: Nigerian law allows N70m cash for lawmakers during election

The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on Naira Redesign Policy, Cashless Policy, and Currency Swap, led by Ado Doguwa, declared that there had yet to be a respite over the scarcity of new Naira notes.

He spoke in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s order extending the validity of old N200 notes by 60 days.

Addressing State House Correspondents after a meeting with the President, Doguwa, said they needed raw cash for electioneering purposes as backed by law.

The lawmaker who said President Buhari’s directives would lessen Nigerians’ suffering if it was implemented quickly, added that they sought audience with the President to thank him for the intervention.

Doguwa emphasised that going into election without “raw cash” would put members of the National Assembly at a disadvantage irrespective of the political party they belonged.

He affirmed that each member of the House of Representatives was entitled to N70 million cash to pay polling agents and for other election running costs, saying if they had no raw cash, they would be disadvantaged in the exercise.

Doguwa explained that his committee was mandated by the House and by extension, the National Assembly, to interface with the president and the CBN on the implementation of the policy.

He said although the majority of the issues they wanted to bring up with the president, particularly the extension of the expiration date for the old N200 notes, had been addressed by Buhari in the broadcast earlier, more needs to be done to ensure that his order to the apex bank to make the money available immediately was carried out.

Doguwa said: “Now that the President has issued the directive, how do we ensure that the president’s directive is being carried out on the ground?

“This is what we came to iron out today. No matter how professional a policy is, it is counterproductive if it induces suffering on Nigerians.”