The idea of security votes has ironically pushed up insecurity in the country rather than diminish it, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, said yesterday.
He spoke during the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the ICPC, Quarterly Policy Dialogue on ‘Accountability for Security Votes.’
“Security votes is an easy and attractive route for stealing public funds and a veritable avenue for abuse of public trust, escalation of poverty, underdevelopment and ironically escalation of insecurity,” he said.
“In other words, the permission of appropriation for security votes have ironically pushed up, rather than diminish insecurity because money that should ordinarily be available for social development is appropriated as security votes and used discretionarily,” he added.
He noted that in the 2019 budget, 162 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs) had money appropriated as security votes.
He said the number and categories of MDAs given security votes suggest that something is wrong with the parameters for determining who is entitled to security votes.
“Which MDAs are entitled to security votes? What are the parameters for determining the amount of security votes needed? What should security votes be used for? And how should security votes be accounted for?” Owasanoyed queried.
