Not less than $670 million is
spent on security votes in Nigeria every year, a new report by Transparency
International Defence and Security (TIDS) and the Civil Society Legislative
Advocacy Center (CISLAC) has revealed.
The report, titled ‘Camouflaged
Cash’, was launched in Abuja on Monday. According to the report, the $670m is
more than the annual budget of the Nigerian army — which was allocated N139.8
billion in the 2017 budget.
What are security votes?
They are funds that are disbursed
to cover unforeseen security needs in the country. “Very often transacted in
cash,” they are usually at the discretion of public officials, without being
subject to independent audit.
According to the report, the $670
million is:
More than the annual budget of
the Nigerian air force and Nigerian navy combined.
More than 70% of the annual
budget of the Nigerian Police Force
More than nine times the US
security assistance since 2012
More than 12 times the UK
counterterrorism support for 2016 – 2020
Auwal Rafsanjani, CISLAC
executive director, told TheCable that the security votes considered for the
report include that of the federal and state governments, but added not all
states provided information about theirs.
The groups said the security
votes are usually unaccounted for and “secretive,” describing it as “one of the
most durable forms of corruption in Nigeria”.
They also said an estimated $15
billion was allegedly stolen from Nigeria’s defence sector by former military
chiefs.
“By prioritising security vote
spending, less funding is available for Nigerian forces to pay salaries or
procure needed supplies, leaving them underequipped to fight Boko Haram,” the
statement read.
“They also offer major potential
sources of funding to tilt political campaigns, stoking tensions at a critical
time.”
Katherine Dixon, director of
TIDS, said: “Instead of addressing its 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
destabilize the elections.”
Rafsanjani said ahead of the 2019
general election, candidates should agree to “phase out this secretive and
dated form of spending”.
He said: “Any candidates serious
about fighting corruption in Nigeria will recognise the need to urgently
address the problem of security votes.”
The groups recommended that the
national assembly should pass a law “outlawing security votes at all levels, to
be accompanied by legislation specifying budgeting procedures and criteria for
security expenditure”.
They also said there is a need to
“establish effective oversight structures to ensure existing spending is
appropriate, and support state governments to set up security trust funds as a
constructive first step to phasing out security votes”.
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