Civil society groups call for scrapping of security votes spending
Security
By Diana Omueza
Abuja, May 28, 2018(NAN) Ahead of 2019 election, Transparency International and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have called on candidates to commit to scrapping the unaccountable security votes spending in Nigeria
The Executive Director, CISLAC, Mr Auwal Musa-Rafsanjani who spoke on behalf of the group, made the call at the launch of a research report on security votes on Monday in Abuja.
Musa-Rafsanjani said the research work had shown the unaccountable security vote spending in Nigeria was one of the most durable forms of corruption and that it had failed to provide real security for citizens.
He said the report titled “Camouflaged Cash” showed estimates that security votes in Nigeria total around $670 million annually, which was more than the annual budget of the Nigerian Army.
“Security votes, used by successive governments since 1999, are opaque funds that are disbursed at the discretion of public officials, very often transacted in cash, without being subject to oversight or independent audit.
“In theory, they are designed to cover unforeseen security needs but in reality many have become slush funds for corrupt officials,’’ he said.
Musa-Rafsanjani said security votes had undermined Nigeria’s fight against corruption, adding that the “misuse of these funds was fueling instability’’.
He said by prioritising security vote spending, less funding was available for Nigerian Armed Forces to pay salaries or procure needed supplies, leaving them under-equipped to fight the Boko Haram insurgents.
Musa-Rafsanjani said the money also offer major potential source of funding to tilt political campaigns, stoking tensions at a critical time and that security votes needs to come to an end.
“We are calling on all candidates for the coming election to agree to phase out this secretive and outdated form of spending, growing insecurity at a time when security vote spending has increased shows that it serves no positive purpose in keeping Nigerian citizens safe.
“Any candidate serious about fighting corruption in Nigeria will recognise the need to urgently address the problem of security votes.
“Ahead of our National Democracy Day, a strong commitment from public officials against security votes would help the growing understanding that combating corruption is a vital element of any serious democratic society,” he said.
Musa-Rafsanjani charged the public to raise policy consciousness against an institutionalised form of corruption face-marked as “Security Votes” which has precarious risks and implications.
He said the growing budgetary allocation to the nation’s security sector with contending political struggle for security votes has exacerbated corruption which is not farfetched in Nigeria’s security sector.
“It is time for us to end this outdated relic of military rule and ensure that funds are used to protect citizens, not line the pockets of politicians.’’
Musa-Rafsanjani said the security votes can fuel political violence that, particularly in the run-up to 2019 election which would put the lives of Nigerians and the stability of the country at risk.
He also said security votes are providing officials with slush funds to build private armories, stoke ethnic tensions and divide opponents, creating dangerous networks of power.
Musa-Rafsanjani said the report had acknowledged that many state governors used a significant portion of their security votes to top-up funding to federal security agencies operating in their states.
He added the report had also shown the fact that widespread use of security votes by federal, state, and even local officials clearly undermines transparency and accountability, and international practice.
Musa-Rafsanjani also noted the report had exposed the extent of misplaced priority in the allocation of security votes.
He said some identified Ministries, Departments and Agencies received security votes in the proposed 2018 budget, in spite having no security-related function.
Musa-Rafsanjani called for a legislation to outlaw security votes at the federal, state and local levels and that though security votes lacked any legal or constitutional basis.
Also speaking Mr Katherine Dixon, Director of Transparency International Defence and Security said:“Security votes is one of the most durable forms of corruption operating in Nigeria today’’.
She expressed dissatisfaction that instead of addressing many urgent threats, “the ever increasing use of security votes is providing corrupt officials with an easy to use and entirely hidden slush fund.’’
“Corruption in the crucial sector of defence and security plays right into the hands of those who seek to sow the seeds of instability and terror.
“ It leaves Armed Forces under resourced in the fight against Boko Haram and feeds groups who may destabilise the 2019 general elections,” she said.(NAN)
DOM/ABI
Edited by Ali Inuwa