Boko Haram: Labour wants security votes of governors withheld

Details: Category: National Security; Published on Thursday, 04 August 2011 05:20; Written by Admin; Hits: 597

ORGANISED Labour has called on the Federal Government and National Assembly not to release security votes to state governors, who were unable to arrest the armed insurgency in their states.

Under the umbrella of National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, NUCECFWW, the organised labour argued that there was no need for such states to collect security votes since the money was not being used for what it was meant for.

General Secretary of NUCECFWW, Mr Babatunde Liadi, who spoke on the wanton destruction of lives and property by the Boko Haram sect in some northern states and the recent resurgence of kidnapping in the Niger Delta, said most state governors were not using the security votes for the purposes of securing lives and property in their states.

He said: “Allocating security votes to any state governor, who will not use it for the purpose is useless,” adding that such funds should be committed to improving intelligence services of the security agencies in the country.

Liadi noted: “Because the money is not accounted for, most governors, who are chief security officers in their states, converted it to personal use instead of using it to provide security for the people and property in their states.

The Federal Government can stop or reduce allocation to any state where there is crisis and such funds can be channeled to funding of the security agencies, to maintain peace and security if there is crisis in such state. State Houses of Assemblies can equally not allocate funds or approve funds for security votes for such governors.”

“Funds for security votes are being diverted for personal purpose. By this, the governors will be alive to their responsibility of securing lives and property in their states. What is the job of the Criminal Investigation Department, CID of the Nigerian Police?

What is the function of the State Security Services SSS? What is the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, and the office of the Chief Security Adviser to the President doing to unravel who are members of the Boko Haram. Who armed them with bombs. How are the bombs coming into Nigeria?” he queried. (Vanguard)