While Saraki stressed the need for effective security system and adequate budgeting in the country, Aitken-Laird stated that the Nigeria needed to move from theory to taking practical actions against leakages.Aitken-Laird stated that if the situation must stop, there would be need for partnership between the Legislative and the Executive. According to the report, titled “Camouflaged Cash: How Security Votes Fuel Corruption in Nigeria”, Nigeria’s N241.4 billion security vote allocation in the latest budget is more than the yearly budget of the Nigerian Army, above the yearly budget of the Nigerian Air Force and Navy combined, more than 70 per cent of the yearly budget of the Nigerian Police Force, almost three times the United States (U.S.) security assistance since 2012 and higher than 15 times the United Kingdom (UK) counter-terrorism support for 2016-2020. The stakeholders said the increasing security votes, in the face of growing security crisis where security operatives are starving, was not only ridiculous, but also a danger to democracy.Musa, who stated that laws backed by legislation specifying budgeting procedures and criteria for security expenditure must be provided to address the situation, said security votes represent a significant waste of resources that our legitimate military forces desperately need to tackle the range of security issues that is bedeviling the country. Also, Director of Transparency International Defence and Security, Katherine Dixon, said: “The security vote is one of the most durable forms of corruption operating in Nigeria today. Also, an expert, from Centre for Crisis Communications, Chidi Omeje, said the management of security vote remained obscure and a way for state government to fund their political ambitions.

Source: The Guardian May 29, 2018 04:30 UTC