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Nigeria Governors Forum, Anti-Corruption Agency Argue Over Security Votes

September 12, 2019

While Fayemi claimed that security votes for state governors were
legal, the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said the monies for
governors and other agencies were easy means of stealing public funds.

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Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi and
the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) have differed on security votes for state governors.

While Fayemi claimed that security votes for state governors were
legal, the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said the monies for
governors and other agencies were easy means of stealing public funds.

Owasanoye stated this on Wednesday at a one-day policy dialogue on
accountability for security votes organised by the Anti-Corruption
Academy of Nigeria (ACAN).

He said security votes for governors and government agencies was an
avenue for abuse of public trust, escalation of poverty,
underdevelopment, and insecurity, insisting that appropriation for
security votes has increased rather than reduced insecurity.

“Money that should be available for social and economic development is
appropriated as security votes and used with the discretion of
governors,” the ICPC boss said.

However, Fayemi said: “There is no place in the world where security
expenditures are subjected to public debate, for obvious reasons.

“I hope this meeting will come up with international best practice on
how security votes should be managed, but not on whether we should
have security votes because I don’t see the use of dealing with that.

“There is a widespread belief that the appropriation of security votes
in Nigeria is unconstitutional and illegal. This is not correct.”