Ex-Speaker Wants President, Govs To Account For Security Votes

Olayinka Olukoya, Abeokuta - 02.02.2008

Chief Nkem Ike, former Speaker, Abia House of Assembly, has called for the review of the constitution to make the president and governors to account for their security votes.

Ike told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Umuahia that the local government chairmen too should be made to account for it.

He said that the security votes were not the governors or local government chairmen’s personal money, but public funds which should be accounted for.

Ike said that the continuous demand by the governors for increased budgetary allocation on security votes was because they do not account to anybody on how they spend it.

“If these officials are not accountable to anyone, including the legislature,

the demand for increased budgetary allocation will continue to rise,’’ he said.

The former speaker said that the issue of accountability became necessary because the security, which the governors and council chairmen were providing was not personal.

“It is a public thing and I do not see anything secret in it. “I am shocked about what some governors, whose states are relatively peaceful are demanding as monthly security votes. They asked for between N400 million to N500 million.

“I am telling you, if such governors are from Rivers and Bayelsa, they will ask for N10 billion monthly as security votes.

“I know that nowhere is absolutely peaceful, but what they are demanding is outrageous and not fair to the people,’’ Ike said.