… Get 7 Days Ultimatum
Amid rising insecurity and worsening public trust, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded that all 36 state governors in Nigeria disclose how they have spent public funds allocated as “security votes” since May 29, 2023—or face legal action.
The call was made in a Freedom of Information (FoI) letter dated June 28 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. The organisation warned that failure to respond within seven days would trigger appropriate legal steps to compel accountability.
According to SERAP, the growing insecurity across Nigeria, including the recent Benue massacre, has made it imperative for governors to transparently explain how security votes—billions of naira disbursed annually—are being used.
“In the wake of the Benue massacre and ongoing insecurity in several states, there is legitimate public interest in knowing how these funds are spent,” SERAP stated in a release on Sunday.
The group accused many governors of mismanaging or failing to utilise the funds effectively, arguing that their actions contravene Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution which mandates government to ensure the security and welfare of the people.
“Despite the vast sums allocated under the guise of security, governors have largely failed to deliver safety and stability to their states,” the group said.
Security votes are funds allocated to governors and some federal officials, ostensibly to address security challenges without going through the usual public accounting procedures. Critics have, however, described them as slush funds due to the lack of oversight.
Citing reports from 2021, SERAP noted that state governors and local council chairmen allegedly received over ₦375 billion in security votes, with little to show in terms of improved security outcomes.
The organisation also referenced a Supreme Court ruling which clarified that the Freedom of Information Act applies to all levels of government—state governors included. SERAP warned that failure to disclose expenditure details would amount to a “grave violation of public trust” and a breach of anti-corruption laws.
“The intense secrecy and lack of meaningful oversight of the spending of security votes by governors have for many years contributed to large-scale stealing of public funds,” the statement added.
The letter urged governors to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate and monitor security-related expenditures.
SERAP also referenced Nigeria’s recent classification by the World Bank as a “fragile and conflict-affected” country—alongside Afghanistan, Sudan, and Mali—blaming corruption, mismanagement, and insecurity for the nation’s dire economic and humanitarian crises.
Reaffirming its legal readiness, SERAP said: “The judgment sends a powerful message that governors can no longer escape accountability for how they spend security votes. We urge all governors to promptly comply and uphold the rule of law.”
PLATFORM TIMES reports that this move could spark a new wave of pressure on state governments to end the long-standing culture of opacity in public finance under the pretext of security.
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