Date: 2017-05-07

The Kwara State Government has faulted the argument of a former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, who claimed that security votes are sources of waste in states.

Obi had last week demanded that governors should be made to account for their security votes.

But the Kwara State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Babatunde Ajeigbe in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Ilorin, on Friday, disagreed that security vote is a drainpipe.

Ajeigbe who said he did not know the amount voted for Governor Adulfatah Ahmed as security vote in the 2017 budget, however said security vote is used to address security matters.

He added that the fund is being used to support security agencies in carrying out their statutory duties and to provide vehicles, equipment and other operational logistics for security agencies.

He said, "Security vote is used for what it is meant for and that is security matters. It is used for security issues, to ensure that we have a less criminal environment.

"In Kwara State, there is a security council which has as members, heads of various security agencies and headed by the governor.

"They meet on regular basis. It is used to support security agencies in terms of logistics such as vehicles, equipment and task forces that handle security matters.

"I do not have an idea of how much was budgeted as security vote for this year." Efforts to ascertain the amount of security vote for 2017 proved abortive as the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad and the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Saheed Popoola did not pick their calls or respond to their text messages as of the time of filing the story.

The Speaker of the Plateau State House, Mr. Peter Azi, also justified the need for governors to spend security votes on anything that could threaten the peace of the state.

Azi, who also failed to disclose the amount the governor collects as security vote said, "If I am to tell you how much he spends as security vote, it means I will have to tell you all the strategies of security itself. I know that security agencies in Plateau State are doing well."

Also the Director of Press in the Plateau State Government House, Dr. Emmanuel Nanle, noted that Obi is entitled to his opinion but insisted that security vote is not a waste.