Constitutionality should be a priority concern for all true lovers of democracy. But we have a problem. Nigeria has official corruption entrenched in its Constitution and convention of governance called Security Vote. A carryover from the inglorious military era when the Military Head of State sent his minions to states as Governors and were given a stipend to administer their "barracks", the Security Votes were given to the Governors to expend as they wished and ensure nothing unwholesome happened under their purview to ruffle their Commander-in-Chief in Dodan Barracks, Obalende, Lagos, and after the failed Orkar Coup of April, 1992, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
When we returned to Civilian Administration (and Democratic Governance?) in May, 1999, we continued the time-worn tradition with our civil President and Governors gleefully acting as the new Lords of the Manor.
The "Security Votes" run into hundreds of billions of Naira per annum at the Federal Government level or tens of billions of Naira at the states level depending on how rich or poor the state is. Actually, the prefered currency is the U.S. Dollars. And it is disbursed in cash. Successive Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria have dutifully ensured that the President and the Governors always get their Dollar Fix whenever and wherever they want it.
The Security Votes are not subject to budgetary appropriation by the National Assembly and the States' Houses of Assembly. Physical records are not kept and expenditures are strictly at the discretion of the President and the Governors or whoever they entrust with the disbursement of the funds. Very often that trusted aid is the National Security Adviser at the Federal Government level and the Chiefs of Staff at the states level. The Local Government Chairmen have since devised a way to keep their own Security Votes without the knowledge of their State Governors. In essence, the Security Vote is the President's and Governors' "Pocket Money".
I was on Radio Continental's Kubanji Direct on Thursday, 3rd December, 2015, and our topic of discussion was Col. Sambo Dasuki and the alleged $2.1Billion Arms Purchase Scandal. Throughout the programme, my emphasis was that Justice and the Rule of Law must not be sacrificed in our zeal to fight corruption. Dasuki is innocent till found guilty. We must stop the media lynching of people accused of corruption. The cases should be thoroughly investigated and diligently prosecuted. And let the guilty be duly punished.
Clearly much went wrong in our security services. The NSA's Office has no business buying arms and ammunition. But that is how it has been done since 1966.
I am looking forward to an exposè on how the Security Votes of the Governor of Lagos State has been utilised since 1999 to date. I would also like to know how former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State used his Security Votes between 1st January, 2012, and 29th May, 2015.
Bottomline: Time has come for us to stop this official corruption we call Security Votes.
God bless Nigeria.
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