Reps okay INEC’s request for Benue new state constituency, approve NNDC’s N346.5bn 2019 budget

The House of Representatives has approved the request by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the creation of a new state constituency from the present Guma in Benue state.

With the development, Agasha state constituency is expected to be created by INEC, which will in turn bring the total number of such constituencies in the state to 30.

Presenting a motion on the matter yesterday, the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon Edward Pwajok recalled that INEC had in the request dated April 18, 2019, asked the National Assembly to approve the creation, and subsequently prayed that the house should pass a resolution approving the request.

The lawmaker also noted that the request was sequel to a Supreme Court judgment over a case instituted by Guma local government, ordering INEC to create the new state constituency.

Meanwhile, the house also at plenary on Tuesday approved the N346.5 billion budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for the 2019 fiscal year.

Chairman of the House committee on the NDDC, Hon Nicholas Mutu explained that the budget had a recurrent expenditure component of N253.12 billion and overhead and personnel cost totaling N32.259 billion.