Insecurity: CISLAC Advocate for Accountability in Defence
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for transparency and accountability in the defence sector, a way to tackle insecurity in the country.
The non governmental organization(NGO) made the call yesterday during a one-day civil society steering committee coordination meeting held in Port Harcourt, in collaboration with Transparency International-Defence, Security Programme, with support from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
In his address, Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani noted that the gap in the country architecture was because the government failed to plan.
Represented by Board member of CISLAC, Hadiza Kangiwa, Rafsanjani said the meeting became essential for a coordinated approach to addressing the issues of defence and security accountability, as well as human rights and civil space in Nigeria.
The CISLAC boss stressed that “The committee is important because of need for coordinated approach, there is also the need to share and exchange ideas, develop strategies and its very important for each of the stakeholders to know what others are doing.
“If you look at the programme, it entails audit, advocacy, monitoring. Members are expected to come together to guage their performance and look out for what they have been doing well and what they have not done well and how to improve on it.”
He said CISLAC has come a long way and has been able to make it possible for stakeholders in the defence sector to begin to look at what the civil society groups are saying.
In his presentation, Mr. Salaudeen Hashim, revealed the reason for the setting up of the steering committee.
Hashim said Rivers State is one of the high volatile areas in terms of security, reason for hosting the programme. He noted that citizens participation is important in tackling insecurity in the country.
Hashim said “We noticed that there were a lot of opaqueness within the sector and there is need for us to engage at vertical and horizontal levels to be able to get stakeholders to participate in the process and of course ask critical questions.
“That was why we thought that a committee like this with this calibre of people can sit down and brainstorm and check where gaps exist and look at vulnerability risks within the institutions, where are the corruption, where are the leakages, what can we do differently and systematically.
We have been able to start today, setting up an agenda where the steering committee can actually begin to look at the budget for insurance, engaging strongly about procurement.”
Hashim also disclosed that CISLAC have set up a value chain of agenda where the committee can create a work plan around, see how and the kind of methodology that will help them achieve the goal.
“Basically we think there is a very big gap in the system and this gap, if we manage them strongly will help us to secure value that will help us ensure integrity in the system.Integrity is missing, accountability is missing, transparency is missing. So we need to work together to achieve it.Suggested areas of emphasis for committee”, Hashim added.
The group programme officer of project, Bertha Ogbimi, said: “Today there is high level of insecurity in the country partly because of corruption in the security sector. The committee is expected to brainstorm on ways to achieve higher level of accountability, and transparency in the defence sector.”
