STOP SECURITY VOTE FOR PRESIDENT AND GOVERNORS IN NIGERIA

Security vote has turned many state governors into billionaires and democratic emperors, and it is really seething to recollect that some of these super-rich governors recently said that the security vote being given to them is no longer enough. Beside, security vote has been a reward for governors to fund various personal ventures, including payouts to political thugs who they use to unleash mayhem on their opponents or perceived enemies. Security vote is money they spend without accountability at the expense of the masses. In March 2009, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Zakawanu Garuba, accused Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole of collecting N911million as security vote between November 12 and December 31, 2008 (one month).

It is nothing but cruel irony of fate that the Nigerian nation is presently sitting on a keg of economic gun powder while the geographical entity is littered with abundant human capital and limitless natural resources.

How did the nation get to this sorry state? The reasons are not far-fetched. Incredible mismanagement of resources and insatiable desire for massive wealth acquisition and corruption by public officials are some of the factors that have led Nigeria into the dead sea of economic crisis and seemingly uncertain future.

There is no need mentioning the devastating effect of prolonged military rule that impoverished millions of Nigerians, turning them into paupers in the process.

What about the events of the last sixteen years of democratic rule which have further brought the masses into the merciless trap of excruciating pain and poverty?

Particularly shocking is the discovery by the current administration of gargantuan financial wastages and embezzlement, embarked upon recklessly by public officials under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Of special note is the Arms Deal scandal in which some top brass military men and influential politicians brazenly milked the nation almost to death. Is it the mouth-watering emoluments that the legislators at the National Assembly have been collecting since 1999? They are just too many to mention.

Now the nation is on its knees economically, mostly as a result of the renewed activities by various shades of militant groups in the Niger Delta of Nigeria that have recently been blowing up oil pipelines of multinational oil companies.

Recently, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele briefed the Senate in a special session and revealed that the ugly activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in the oil rich region has brought the earnings from the oil sector to an all-time low.

The stark implication of this sad news is that the 2016 Budget might never be fully implemented and the consequences for the nation and the present government is dire indeed

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has equally declared that as a result of the present unpleasant realities Nigeria may soon slide fully into a grim and grave economic recession.

There is the disturbing fact that many State Governors are having difficulties paying their work force, not to talk of several Local Government workers groaning under the dead weight of unpaid salaries!

With chronic and debilitating poverty sitting at the door steps of many homes in Nigeria, while a band of politicians are having big fun in town, it is most imperative for the nation’s National Assembly and all relevant stakeholders to do the most needful thing of discarding the policy of ‘security vote’ for State governors and the President.

At this trying period in the life of the Nation, everything must be done to block any thing sucking or draining our collective Commonwealth. Security Vote is one of such ruthless viper, sucking the blood that is left in the Nigerian economy.

Those who introduced or smuggled the idea of security vote for selected politicians into the polity in Nigeria are not the best friends of the country. Rather, they are enemies of the people. Security vote for what? They are agents of destruction.

Another name for security vote is a well-planned conspiracy for a privileged few to have unhindered access to a chunk of resources belonging to the people of Nigeria.

Security vote has turned many state governors into billionaires and democratic emperors, and it is really seething to recollect that some of these super-rich governors recently said that the security vote being given to them is no longer enough.

Beside, security vote has been a reward for governors to fund various personal ventures, including payouts to political thugs who they use to unleash mayhem on their opponents or perceived enemies. Security vote is money they spend without accountability at the expense of the masses.

In March 2009, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Zakawanu Garuba, accused Comrade Governor Adams Oshiomhole of collecting N911million as security vote between November 12 and December 31, 2008 (one month).

According to Garuba: “Between November 12th to 31st December, 2008, the Comrade Governor of Edo State removed N911 million and put it in his pocket. He removed that money as security vote. In governance, you do not challenge how security vote is spent. He removed N911 million and the documents are with us. “And meanwhile, when he removed the money, the killings, kidnappings, cultism are on the increase every day. What did he use the money for?”

As you can see, Garuba said they had the document to back up the allegation. It was a time when there was a row over the 2009 state budget which was passed by the Assembly.

Without waste of time, Mr. Eric Osagie, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Affairs and Strategy, debunked the allegation and described it as spurious, baseless and a storm in a tea cup.
Also, Abia Elders Forum, a political pressure group in Abia State alleged that then State Governor Orji was planning to increase his security vote to N700million from $400m per month, using the state House of Assembly.

“At N700 million per month, it means the Governor would be pocketing, princely N8.4 billion per annum as security vote for which he is not accountable to anyone. “It was scandalous enough that he has been taking out N400 million per month since he came into office as security vote. Raising the vote to N700 million at a time the state’s economy has completely collapsed under the weight of (alleged) dubious debts incurred since June 2007 and sustained and systematic looting of the treasury indicates a tragic intention to destroy the state’s economic base,” they feared.

Anambra State under Peter Obi is another state where serious controversies have trailed security vote with concerned citizens speaking against it.

It was good news recently to know that President Muhammadu Buhari has scrapped security vote for top federal officials. Therefore, the Presidency should lead the way by leading the campaign against the gradual phasing out of the policy of security vote in the country.

Separate statutory bodies should be set up to dish out security expenses to organs of government at all levels. The law enforcement and disaster relief agencies should be well funded with such security fund to enable them perform their statutory duties. Such money can also be used to fund hospitals to meet the day to day medical challenges of the populace.

Nothing is wrong if Nigeria under study how the United States, Britain and other progressive countries in the world finance their security challenges without getting into the private manipulative pockets of governors, president, etc.

Now, how much security has security vote secured or guaranteed in Nigeria?

We add our voice to the call by Comrade Ayuba-Wabba factional leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that security vote and its twin brother, immunity clause, should jettisoned from our statutory books.

It is sheer financial crime against the poverty-stricken masses of Nigeria as long as the security vote policy continues.

And there is no doubt that those governors collecting and spending the money in ways that it does not benefit the masses, at a time when millions of people lack access to good healthcare, pipe-borne water and education have blood in their hands. It is time for the Nigerian masses to rise up and demand justice.

It is sad to note that Nigerian democracy is the costliest in the whole world. Now that our national currency is wobbling daily against the dollar and other major foreign currencies; and the proceed from oil is being dried up, while hyper- inflation is tearing homes in Nigeria into shreds, security vote and other official conduit pipes being used by some powerful politicians must be blocked without any iota of sentiments.

It is a form of entrenched corruption that must be fought by all men and women of goodwill, by the downtrodden masses and by the Buhari administration which pride itself as an anti-corruption crusader.

Really and truly, if security vote, immunity clause and other amazing financial packages for public officials are pulled out from the books the mad race for political positions by those without good intentions to serve their fatherland would be drastically reduced in Nigeria.

And if Nigeria must swim out of the current sea of financial crunch, drastic, uncompromising and bitter decisions must be taken. The masses in Nigeria have paid enough sacrifices for the heartless looting of their collective patrimony.

Now, the looters and some of the privileged celebrated thieves must be stopped from further draining the scarce resources of the so-called giant of Africa.

– Alltimepost.com editorial