The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and all state governors to disclose their proposed amount for 2021 security vote.
SERAP said Buhari and all the state governors should explain to Nigerians measures being put in place to ensure that the proposed money is not embezzled.
The organisation made the call, in the Freedom of Information, FoI, requests dated 26 December, 2020 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
The request reads partly: “President Muhammadu Buhari and 36 state governors should “disclose details of proposed ‘security votes’ spending in your 2021 appropriation bills to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians, and to explain the measures your governments are putting in place to prevent the misuse and embezzlement of public funds in the name of security votes.
“In the wake of the abduction of over 300 students from the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, and ongoing security challenges in several parts of the country, the time has come to demonstrate transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds meant to secure people’s lives and property.
“Disclosing details of spending as security votes for 2021 would serve to engage the Nigerian people in an honest conversation about the security challenges confronting the country, and what the federal and state governments are doing to respond to them. This is a legitimate public interest matter.”
