NBA President, Others Call For Transparency In Security Vote

Some lawyers in Lagos State on Saturday called
for transparency in the utilisation of security vote
by top political office holders to forestall abuse of
the process. They told newsmen that the process could only be
sustained if public funds in trust were diligently
utilised. Newsmen report that security vote is the practice
of appropriating funds with the aim of enhancing
national security. Specifically, security vote is the catch-all line item
inserted in the budget to give recipients the
flexibility to cover ad hoc security expenditures. The President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr
Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), said, “There are many
issues and controversies around the management
of security vote. “I think the more control and transparency in the
system, the better. “Having served in government previously myself,
I think there are justifications for having security
vote, but the vote ought to be managed properly
and there is need to have a framework for
accountability. Abubakar-Mahmoud, SAN “Security vote is an issue which the state
governors should handle in a manner that sustains
public confidence,’’ Mahmoud said. Also, the President, Lagos Court of Arbitration, Mr
Yemi Candide-Johnson (SAN), said that there
should be transparency and accountability in the
system. Candide-Johnson said, “All public funds are used
on trust and they must be subjected to
accounting; security is not sorcery. “It is the execution of a planned response to a
range of anticipated dangers. “This can be budgeted and subjected to oversight
and accountability. “The problem we have is that security vote in our
context is a personal and political slush fund for
discretionary misspending. “We should know how much is being spent,’’
Candide-Johnson said. He said that such accounting required more
confidential oversight; in some instances, the
Intelligence Committee of the House of
Representatives or Senate and an independent
oversight agency should do a review. In his remarks, a Social Critic, Mr Spurgeon
Ataene, said, “transparency is key to dealings in
security vote. “Security vote has been in existence for a purpose,
but the most important is that the executive arm of
government should not be ridiculed. “The abuse of the provisions of security vote is
what elicits condemnation and controversies
among the citizenry,’’ he said. Ataene said that there should be transparency in
the use of such vote. He said that any unutilised fund should be used for
the common good of all or returned and be
appropriated in the next fiscal year.