From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has said there is a need for increased funding for security agencies in the country to enable them to perform optimally.
The chairman of the Committee, Ahmed Satomi, stated this while addressing journalists on Monday, after a public hearing organised by the panel on “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Security and Intelligence Trust Fund to Provide Funding for Security-Related Issues, Apart from the Usual Budgetary Provisions from the Federation, Intervene in Combating Security Issues in Nigeria and for Related Matters (HB 1584).”
Satomi, who explained that the Security Trust Fund, if established, would be funded majorly through one per cent of money that accrues to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the federation, noted that it is obvious that the usual annual budgetary allocations cannot address the funding needs of the sector in the country. He added that the bill proposes that unclaimed funds in banks should be channelled to the security fund after nine months.
Nevertheless, the lawmaker stated that it is imperative for anti-corruption agencies, as well as the parliament, to pay keen attention to the utilisation of funds appropriated to the security sector and other sectors in the country, so as to ensure that they are deployed for the purposes they are meant for.
“The money (budgetary allocation) is inadequate. You look at the size of our military today or the size of the police; you have a population of about 200 million Nigerians—what is the number of our police? Maybe 300 to one police. Look at the ratio. If you have such money, it will give opportunity for retraining, for recruitment. Utilising the fund is another issue. But let’s make the fund available to them.
“The envelope system, looking at what is happening globally and in our country, we need adequate funding for security agencies, particularly for the armed forces and the intelligence agencies. I have said it clearly that kinetic operations cannot solve the problem of insecurity in Nigeria. Therefore, this bill is very significant and important.
“Section 4(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution clearly says that protecting the lives and property of our people is the primary assignment of our government. And without proper funding, no matter the size of your military, if you want to sustain the tempo of keeping security, in line with global practice, particularly that of cybersecurity, cybercrime, terrorism, banditry, separatists’ agitations, you need to think outside the box. That is actually the essence of the bill. We must strengthen our oversight. Also, other agencies that are involved in fighting corruption should actually checkmate the fund, so that the monies are utilised.”