The Sleazy & Corruption Ridden Ring Of Nigeria’s “Security Vote”

Tinubu created the Life Looting Scheme aka Life Pension for elected ex-Govs & Deputies in 2007 on the eve of leaving office as a parting gift to himself by himself using the rubber stamp assembly to approve it “kiakialy”. Other governors in 26 states have joined in the brigandage
But who created Security Vote? Fingers are pointing to Obasanjo. (Baba bone face)

Yes, the security vote scam started during the military regime but Obasanjo civilianised it and democratised the loot to the governors and local government chairmen.
Surprisingly, Buhari, Baba Seriki Integrity, has not deemed it necessary to stop the scam six years into his “borrow, borrow” government of “no money, no money” Baba Agba dey enjoy am too like “fura de nunu”.

Who no like better thing after all, security vote no dey smell of corruption.

Except for its known short duration of 4 or 8 years tenure, security vote which runs into billions of Naira appears like a greater scam than life pension which is for life.
Security vote is without appropriation, no accountability, received and spent in secret at the discretion of the president, governors & local government chairmen.

How do they spend their security votes?
Late Lamidi Adedibu, the notorious genius of Amala politics and “Garrison Commander” of Ibadan politics gave an insight into this during his contest for dominance of political space and authority with his estranged godson and ex-governor of Oyo State, Adewolu Ladoja.

Baba Adedibu openly demanded for, at least, 40 percent of Ladoja’s undisclosed security vote as a condition for reconciliation and for peace to reign in Oyo State, particularly in Ibadan land. As the custodian of peace and violence in Ibadan land, Adedibu and his Molete political troops might feel justified to demand for their quota of security vote.

Judging from this, security vote is simply a “play around” loose fund at the whims and caprice of a sitting president or governor. He can embezzle all or part. He can spend it on vote buying, breed political thugs, campus cultists, allowance for Abobakus, to bribe INEC, police to rig election. Some say they spend their security vote on traditional rulers, give stipend as support to members of House of Assembly, heads of security agencies, NURTW.. .

But no matter the truth or lie of their claims, no governor or president can account for how their security votes are spent. In actual fact, they are not expected to account for it since it’s not appropriated, and where a smart governor puts it in the budget, how he spends the public fund is nobody’s business and its within his discretion not subjected to any control or accountability while in office.

So, when you see wealthy, influential and privileged political thugs in your neighborhood, they may be beneficiaries of security votes. If you see some restless professional Abobakus shamelessly defending bad policies and actions of government up and down on social and terrestrial media, they may be beneficiaries of huge security votes.

Ex-governor Theodore Orji of Abia state, now a Senator, further confirmed the wastefulness with impunity and immunity on how security vote are abused by “Awon Arabi”

In the Compendium of 100 High Profile Corruption Cases published by HEDA (Resource Centre), Orji disagreed with the EFCC during his prosecution in court in a case of corruption against him that he only spent N38. 8 billion Naira Security Vote as against N48bn alleged by the commission. N38. 8bn!
But no single payment voucher, bank transaction or any document to verify how his N38. 8bn security vote was spent.

Orji, like Fashola, claimed he doesn’t touch money at all. That’s no news, after all, Amaechi does not also like money at all.
According to him. Orji claimed that all disbursement of his security votes were handled by his Government House aide on his instruction. But when EFCC requested him to present that aide for cross examination, His Excellency informed the court that his “security vote disburser” had died. (May his soul rest in peace anywhere he is)
Unfortunately, the ex-governor did not collect a single document as evidence of his security votes distribution from the aide for eight years before he died.

Allau Akbar!

Orji said he spent N38. 8bn with members of the state assembly, traditional rulers & his informants.. Other beneficiaries according to him were traditional rulers, (you know now why many traditional are mere PA. traditional matters to their governors) and security agencies in the state.

Please, dont bother to ask your governors or Mr. President how much is their security votes or to account for it because they won’t tell you. Like a popular Yoruba cliche: “Ohun ti agbalagba fi n’je eko, abe ewe lowa” (Visit Prof. Sokinka for its appropriate English interpretation, pls.).

Security vote is “ounje Agba” (Elders food) not for the ordinary citizens to know anything about.
There’s Security Vote “Esprit de Corps” among all governors cutting across political ranches, religious and ethnic divides. They all agreed to this economic banditry like they did with the looting for life aka life pension scheme.

Take for instance, the N38.8bn Orji said he spent as security votes for 8 years, he could have used the fund to build, at least, one modern well equipped and well staffed primary school in Abia state, assuming he bought Dangote cement for One Million Naira per Bag so that the building would be very very strong.

Let’s just demand for the outright cancelation of this outrageous “loose money” scam tagged security vote. The huge money spent on it should be used to provide free qualitative education and provision of social infrastructure. A percentage should be given to security agencies, particularly police, Amotekun, Neighborhood Watch, Vigilante, and other local variants in different states in the country.

For someone to preside over billions of Naira Security Vote and spends it anyhow he wants without accountability is nothing more than high profile looting of the country’s resources. It must stop.

Attached is the list of security votes state by state.
Warning: Read at your own risk. Hypertensive persons and anyone with a monthly income less than N10m are advised not to read it please to avoid sudden death.

Security votes by states
SOUTH EAST
Imo State: N333.333M Monthly (N4B Annually)

Enugu State: N600M Monthly (N7.2B Annually)

Anambra State: N850M Monthly (N10B Annually)

Abia State: N700M Monthly (N8.4B Annually)

*Ebonyi State: No Record Available

SOUTH SOUTH:

Cross River State: N500M Monthly (N6B Annually)

Rivers State: N1.5B Monthly (N18B Annually)

Akwa Ibom State: N1.8B Monthly (N21.6B Annually)

Edo State: N900M Monthly (N10.8B Annually)

Delta State: N2B Monthly (N24B Annually)

*Bayelsa State: No Record Available

SOUTH WEST
Lagos State: N1.429B Monthly [N1.297B (Public order and safety) + N132.5M (Social Protection)] (N17.149B Annually [N15.559B + N1.59B])

Ondo State: N600M Monthly (N7.2B Annually)

Osun State: N400M Monthly (N4.8B Annually)

Ogun State: N80-N100M Monthly (N960M-N1.2B Annually)

Ekiti State: N100M Monthly (N1.2B annually)

NORTH EAST
Borno State: N806.25M Monthly (N9.675B Annually)

Yobe State: N316.667M Monthly (N3.8B Annually)

Taraba State: N200M Monthly (N2.4B Annually)

Bauchi State: N1.417B Monthly (N17B Annually)

NORTH WEST
Kano State: N0.00

Kaduna State: N400M Monthly [N175M (Security vote) + N225M (Security Vote (Preventive and Supportive) for the SSG’s office)] N4.8B Annually [N2.1B + N2.7B]

Katsina State: N17.583M Monthly (N211M Annually)

Zamfara State: N600M Monthly (N7.2B Annually)

NORTH CENTRAL
Benue State: N3.092B allocation to personnel and overhead costs monthly which cover security vote, among others. (N37.1B Annually)

Niger State: N1.308B Monthly (N15.7B Annually)

Plateau State: N216.667M Monthly (N2.6B Annually)

Kogi State: N400M Monthly (N4.8B Annually)

Nasarawa State: N100M Monthly (N1.2B annually)

*Kwara State: No Record Available

Source: WIKIPEDIA.