Yemisi Izuora
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA), has warned that the current security challenge in the South West raises critical questions about how state Governors expend their monthly security votes.
The Organization raised the issue during the summit on regional security, where it advised the South West Governors to ensure transparency in the disbursement of security votes.
Chairman, of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the governors of the six South West States receive not less than 1billion naira every month totaling about 12 billion in a year, and can conveniently channel substantial part of it to fight crime.
The foremost anti-corruption group said the campaign against criminals should be backed with meaningful resource expenditure.
“We call on the state governors to see the challenge of kidnapping in the region as imminent threat and deploy their security votes to maximum use. We are convinced that if the security votes are well utilized the problem of kidnapping can be decisively dealt with.”
The HEDA urged the state Governors to design a mechanism that will be sustainable in the fight against kidnapping using the security vote in an effective and meaningful manner.
According to the statement, “There cannot be social and economic development without a sustainable security mechanism. While addressing kidnapping with modern technology the governors should not neglect the need to address the worsening economic situation of many vulnerable people especially those in rural communities.”
The group said over the years, state Governors have placed much emphasis on private security at the expense of public security
The HEDA said to deal with kidnapping, the state governors need an inconclusive framework that will make the fight against kidnapping driven by the people who are at the receiving end of insecurity and the subsequent threats to their livelihood.
The group said further “We recommend an inclusive security system, an overhaul of the criminal administration system and an institutional policy that wiĺl ensure an effective justice system for the society, the criminals and the victims of crime across the South West region.”