CISLAC Demands Accountability on Security Budget, Others

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

 A civil society group under the aegis of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has noted the need for Nigerians to demand accountability from security agencies in order to save the sector from alleged corrupt practices.

The demand was made yesterday at a press briefing organised by CISLAC in partnership with Transparency International and support from MCArthur Foundation held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

During the briefing, CISLAC alleged that high level of corruption in the three national military formation, the Army, Navy and Air Force is the major reason Nigeria is still fighting insurgency till date.

Speaking, the Programme Manager for Defence and Security sector of CISLAC, Jimoh Abubakar, noted that: “The high level of corruption found in the budget implementation, procurement, troop deployment rotation and welfare, and gender promotion disparity are responsible for the failure to defeat Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents in the country.”

Abubakar stressed that “activities of the defence and security sector are shrouded in secrecy. Their personnel are kept in the field for several years without proper care, adequate tools to work, and no necessary allowances are entitled to them.

Those who were maimed and killed in active service, how are they treated, what is going on with their families? Those who are retired, are they getting what they are supposed to get? All these are affecting, demoralising and diminishing their moral to work.

“The procurement law also gives water tight protection to the sector, these laws apparently are blocking transparency and accountability in the defence and security sector.”

He urged the citizens to arise, dig up, and expose all contradictory legal frameworks that are inimical to transparency and accountability activities in the sector in order to move the nation forward.

Earlier, the Executive Director, CISLAC and Head of Transparency International in Nigeria, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, stated that the “major drivers of corruption in the defence and security sector include shady procurement process; excessive secrecy in procurement process and spending; inter-agency rivalry; inflated procurement and ‘Phantom Contracts; delayed appropriation process; weak oversight activities.”

He said the challenges has hampered counterterrorism operations; empowered insurgency and discouraged front-line troops; endangered security of lives and property; threatened democratic governance mechanisms; limited operational effectiveness; lowered morale and regard for the defence institutions.

The CISLAC boss stressed that just as the commitments and expertise necessary to implement sustainable changes were not always available, the military governance mechanisms were not always fit-for-purpose and the troops often under-resourced.

He revealed that: “A recent analysis indicated that over 80 percent of military personnel have been deployed in internal security operations across the 36 states of the nation with whopping sums budgeted for insecurity nationally.”

Musa said the analysis revealed that the prolonged fight against insecurity, even though very expensive, is yet to record the desired impact or effectiveness.

He, however, called for a provoke independent oversight and immediate reform in the defence and security sector, particularly with respect to financial transparency, gender inclusion as well as operational disparities, adding that “these have significantly impacted the overall integrity and efficiency of the sector.”