Country: Nigeria
Ahead of the 2019 Presidential elections in Nigeria, Transparency International and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) are calling on candidates to commit to scrapping the unaccountable and secretive “security vote” spending – one of the most durable forms of corruption in Nigeria—saying that they fail to provide real security for citizens.
Read the full report below and download ‘Annex A: Federal Security Vote Data’ here and ‘Annex B: State Security Vote Data’ here.
Nigeria: More spent on security votes per year than Army budget
Civil society groups call for scrapping of secretive security vote spending
28th May 2018, London/ Abuja – Ahead of the 2019 Presidential elections in Nigeria, Transparency International and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) are calling on candidates to commit to scrapping the unaccountable and secretive “security vote” spending – one of the most durable forms of corruption in Nigeria—saying that they fail to provide real security for citizens.
“Camouflaged Cash”, a new report launched today by the groups, estimates that security votes in Nigeria total around $670 million annually – more than the annual budget of the Nigerian Army. This amount dwarfs the US security assistance to Nigeria since 2012 and UK counter terrorism support promised from 2016-2020.
Security votes, used by successive governments since 1999, are opaque funds that are disbursed at the discretion of public officials, very often transacted in cash, without being subject to oversight or independent audit. In theory they are designed to cover unforeseen security needs but in reality many have become slush funds for corrupt officials.
As well as undermining Nigeria’s fight against corruption, the misuse of these funds is fuelling instability. By prioritising security vote spending, less funding is available for Nigerian forces to pay salaries or procure needed supplies, leaving them underequipped to fight Boko Haram. They also offer major potential sources of funding to tilt political campaigns, stoking tensions at a critical time.
Katherine Dixon, Director of Transparency International Defence & Security said:
“The security vote is one of the most durable forms of corruption operating in Nigeria today. Yet instead of addressing its many urgent threats, the ever-increasing use of security votes is providing corrupt officials with an easy-to-use and entirely hidden slush fund.”
“Corruption in the crucial sector of defence and security plays right into the hands of those who seek to sow the seeds of instability and terror. It leaves armed forces under-resourced in the fight against Boko Haram and feeds groups who may destabilize the elections.”
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center, said:
“We are calling on all candidates for the coming election to agree to phase out this secretive and dated form of spending. Growing insecurity at a time when security vote spending has increased shows that it serves no positive purpose in keeping Nigerian citizens safe. Any candidates serious about fighting corruption in Nigeria will recognise the need to urgently address the problem of security votes.”
“Ahead of our National Democracy Day a strong commitment from public officials against security votes would help the growing understanding that combatting corruption is a vital element of any serious democratic society.”
Transparency International Defence & Security and CISLAC recommends the Nigerian government:
- Pass federal legislation outlawing security votes at all levels, to be accompanied by legislation specifying budgeting procedures and criteria for security expenditure.
- Establish effective oversight structures to ensure existing spending is appropriate.
- Educate its officials, security leaders and the general public about the risks of using security votes.
- Support state governments to set up Security Trust Funds as a constructive first step to phasing out security votes.
Key stats and findings from Camouflaged Cash include:
- $670 million spent on security votes per year
- More than the annual budget of the Nigerian Army
- More than the annual budget of the Nigerian Air Force and Navy combined
- More than 70% of the annual budget of the Nigerian Police Force
- More than nine times the US security assistance since 2012
- More than 12 times the UK counterterrorism support for 2016 – 2020
- 29 Nigerian states receive an average total of $580 million through security votes each year
- $5 million – increase in security vote spending between 2016 and 2018
- $15 billion – estimated amount stolen from Nigeria’s defence sector of by former military chiefs
***ENDS***
Contact:
Dominic Kavakeb
+44 20 3096 7695
+44 79 6456 0340
Dominic.kavakeb@transparency.org.uk
Transparency International Defence and Security (TI-DS) works to reduce corruption in defence and security worldwide.
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) is a non-governmental, non-profit, advocacy, information sharing, research, and capacity building organisation. Its purpose is to strengthen the link between civil society and the legislature through advocacy and capacity building for civil society groups and policy makers on legislative processes and governance issues.
Weaponising Transparency has found that unpublished defence budgets and arms procurements are still open to abuse by corrupt officials seeking to benefit from the conflict with Boko Haram and launder stolen money abroad. Many deaths in the conflict have occurred while the military lacks vital equipment, critical training, and morale.
Since 2011, 50,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict with Boko Haram, while millions have been displaced. An estimated US $15bn has been stolen from the defence sector and billions of Naira spent annually without clear rationale. While President Buhari has made significant moves to take on the secretive and powerful defence sector, the pace of reform in the MOD is too slow and lacks any strategy.
Recent scandals surrounding arms procurement have highlighted how corruption in the Nigerian defence sector is threatening Nigerian security. Billions of dollars of equipment meant for soldiers to fight Boko Haram have allegedly been misappropriated by top-level defence and security officials, eroding the armed forces’ ability to respond to conflict and endangering the lives of Nigerian soldiers and citizens.
Notwithstanding the recent positive steps, more systemic reforms are needed if the Nigerian people are to be protected by well-equipped defence forces that operate with integrity. Defence budgets should be subject to open and robust scrutiny to ensure limited resources are spent wisely, particularly given that defence takes up approximately 20% of the overall budget per year. Procurement should be based on a clearly defined national defence strategy, and where possible, should be held through open competition to ensure that the armed forces receive the equipment they need. Personnel systems should reward capability to ensure that those troops that are the highest performers rather than those with connections or money rise to the top.