INSECURITY: Govs meet with EFCC, ICPC, FIRS, CBN on security votes

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) will meet with the governors of the 36 states that make up the federation tomorrow to discuss how to handle their states’ security ballots.

Governors were called, but none of them responded to inquiries about the meeting’s implications for their states last night.

However, a few of the governors, particularly those of Osun and Benue, declared that they supported any measure that would improve good administration in Nigerian states specifically and the country as a whole.

The statement read: “Governors of the 36 states of the federation are to meet with all the economic and financial agencies in the country, to iron out thorny issues surrounding their states’ security votes, towards establishing a better option of managing the funds.

“The meeting, which is to take place on Tuesday, April 4, according to an invitation issued by the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru, will be virtual, to ensure full attendance by all the relevant officers in the matter.

“Those invited to the meeting include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

“Furthermore, the meeting will also consider deepening the management and expansion of the cashless policy which took effect from the time of the redesigning of the national currency, the Nigerian Naira, last year, to further the financial inclusion of all citizens in the ensuing scheme of things, going forward.

Meeting at NFIU’s instance

“This meeting is called at the instance of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, in its letter of March 30, which was addressed to the chairman of the NGF and signed by the NFIU Director, Modibbo Hamman Tukur.

“The letter said apart from the facilities for national financial inclusion, it is also putting on the table the uniform development and cooperation on the nation, addressing and post code project, which will put Nigeria on the same pedestal as all advanced countries across the globe.

“Also on the agenda is a consensus on harmonizing and updating the national tax collection and business entry standards and its requirements to help respond to the FATF and the EU grey listing in which Nigeria appeared.

“All governors are advised to prioritize the meeting as its contents had been discussed at the NGF emergency meeting of Thursday, March 30, where it was unanimously agreed that a meeting with the aforementioned agencies was imperative.”

Recall that over the years, whatever Nigerians had heard about the real amount being appropriated to state governors in Nigeria as security votes had remained guess work, even as those in the corridors of power have described security votes as humongous amounts of money spent by governors but unaccounted for.

But reacting last night, the Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, speaking through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said he is not in any way threatened by the meeting.

“Osun State government welcomes any step or decision that will help to deliver good governance through due process and rule of law.
“We are not in anyway threatened with the development. In the few months of his governorship, Governor Ademola Adeleke has ensured transparency and openness in the handling of state finances.

“So hosting a meeting over security votes is not in any way a source of concern to the governor or the state government.

“As you know Osun State is in a peculiar setting with heavy indebtedness and we are already undergoing shoe-string management of little resources available to the state.”