The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria welcomes with commendation the recent decision by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Expenditure of All Intervention Funds on Security led by Hon. Zakaria Nyampa, to carryout a comprehensive investigation into all security intervention funds released by the Federal Government from its coffers from 2020 to date.
While the legislative move is targeted at ensuring “transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline in the disbursement and utilization of resources meant to protect Nigerians and nationals of other nations”, we are hopeful that the National Assembly conducts the exercise with utmost sincerity in demonstration of its Constitutionally-guaranteed oversight powers and responsibilities.
Over the years, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria has through its engagements (across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria) aim at unlocking transparency and accountability and improve overall efficiency of the Defence and Security financial, procurement, personnel/gender and operational activities, has observed and at different fora drawn the public, policy and legislative attention to the accelerated level of corruption, illicit diversion, financial mismanagement and procurement racketeering bedeviling the sectors. This without doubt has resulted in under-performance at counter-terrorism/violent extremism activities and accelerated insecurity across the country.
In the spirit of transparency and accountability of the Defence and Security interventions, we encourage extended sub-national efforts by relevant stakeholders and oversight authorities including the State Houses of Assembly to deepen investigation and uncover the applications of years of whopping allocations to the State Governments under the aegis of “Security Vote”, implementation of which has become opaque with maximum exposure to corruption, diversion and mismanagement that accelerate insecurity in various parts of the country.
We without hesitation reiterate the call that our nation’s Defence and Security governance must be strengthened through enhanced Civilian Oversight bodies and activities, to restore best practices and efficiency in financial, operational, procurement and personnel management. Efficient oversight of the Defence and Security sectors remains sacrosanct to ensure transparency, prevent fraud and abuse, and promote efficiency, while upholding the mandates of relevant institutions with fundamental responsibilities to monitor compliance, ensure fairness, equity and address ethical misconduct.
In order to ensure credibility and openness in the exercise, we also welcome the decision of the Committee to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office, Office of the National Security Adviser, defence and police authorities, as well as the EFCC, ICPC, and Civil Society watchdogs including CISLAC/TI-Nigeria.
On a similar note, our heartfelt congratulations goes to the newly appointed Security Chiefs, while acknowledging and applauding their recent commitments, particularly the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, to prioritize personnel welfare alongside improving national security.
It would be recalled that CISLAC/TI-Nigeria has through various engagements called for adequate remuneration, timely payment of allowances and improved living conditions for personnel and their families including those who lost their lives in active service, for enhanced performance, operational efficiency and the overall security of lives and property of Nigerians. We are sincerely hopeful that this reform will be extended and implemented across key components of Defence Governance; as poor welfare, inadequate training, corruption, indiscipline, faulty recruitment process are contributory challenges to operational efficiency and financial management in the Defence and Security sector.
We call on the National Assembly to intensify effort at minimising the corruption risks in the Defence and Security sector through adequate reforms across procurement, operation, political, financial and personnel activities. This reform effort must be targeted at comprehensive categorisation of classified and non-classified items (considering the international standards and best practice) in Defence and Security procurement, to enable efficient external oversight.
We encourage the National Assembly to consider embracing targeted anti-corruption strategies that cut across financial reform implementation in asset recovery and repatriation in the Defence and Security sector, while mobilising citizens’ participation in anti-corruption process.
We call on the National Assembly to take int cognisance immediate amendment and harmonization of the relevant provisions in Freedom of Information Act including Section 11(1) and Official Secret Act, to remove contradictory provisions hampering civilian oversight of the Defence and Security sector, while enhancing transparency and accountability in procurement, financial and personnel activities.
We call on the Ministries of Defence and Interior in collaboration with National Assembly, relevant oversight bodies, Civil Society, to prioritise implementation of a comprehensive external oversight framework, giving consideration to some key strategic procurement mechanisms in the Defence and Security sector like creation of interdependent bodies, comprehensive regulatory framework, risk-based auditing, regular audit and review, data analytics and technology, whistle-blower protection, training and retraining programmes.
CISLAC/TI-Nigeria is committed to promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria Defence and Security sectors, for improved efficiency as well as security of lives and property.
