I don’t subscribe to removal of security votes – Prof. Okolie

Nsukka (Enugu State) – Prof. Aloysius Okolie, former Head, Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), says irrespective of the controversy surrounding security votes, he will not subscribe to its stoppage.

Okolie said in Nsukka on Monday, that though some governors misused it, its removal would increase security challenges in the country.

“Security votes help governors to handle some security situations in their states before they gets out of hand.

“As the chief security officer in their various states, on daily basis they receive security reports from law enforcement agencies and some of these reports if not acted upon immediately may escalate to dangerous dimensions.

“It’s from their security votes, they use in tackling these security challenges thereby nipping such security threats in the bud,” he said.

On the issue that security votes are unconstitutional and not captured in annual budgets, he noted that even in developed countries, not everything is enshrined in the constitution.

“Is not everything that will be in the constitution, that’s why some approved traditions and conventions are part of country’s constitution, “he said.

The don said that, what Nigerians should preoccupied themselves with, should be on how to elect qualified and patriotic  leaders, who would govern the people  with the fear of God as well as make judicious use of security votes given to them.

Dr Arron Agbo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, UNN, said he was not against security votes, but that they should be accounted for.

“I am of the view that this money should be accounted for.

”  If a governor was given N100,000 as security vote for February, at the end of the month he should  give account how the money was used.

“This idea of giving security votes to governors every month  and by next month whether the previous one  was spent  or not,  another one will be released is not proper,’’ he said.

The psychologist alleged that this uncounted huge amount of money called security votes was one of the reasons why everybody wants to  be governor of a state by all means.

“Some governors instead of using this money to improve security in their states, used it to enrich themselves as well as to suppress the opposition parties in their states,” he said.

Also speaking, Mrs Chidimma Eleazu, an activist and lawyer, said security votes should be stopped, because is unconstitutional and not appropriated for.

“If the president and governors should continue to receive security votes, it should be reflected in the constitution and annual budgets.

“This will enable Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable.

“Is unfortunate that in some states, bandits are killing and kidnapping people  on daily basis, but their governors collect security votes every month without much  to show for that,”  she said (NAN)

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