There are many questions to ask our present and past leaders about how they spent Nigeria’s security funds. Nigerian leaders are riding bullet-proof cars while their citizens are being killed on a daily basis by armed robbers, bandits and terrorists. Can we continue like this? The answer is No. The important questions to be asked our present and past leaders are these: How were public security funds budgeted for and received by our leaders every year spent? Were these funds spent on the purpose for which they were meant?
Nigeria is pouring billions of naira into its security sector every year with no positive result. Foreign investors are afraid of coming to invest in Nigeria because of fear of being kidnapped or killed by bandits and armed robbers.
Recently, President Tinubu has publicly appealed to the United Nations to help to fight criminals who are terrorising us. Do we really need the United Nations’ assistance to fight criminals in Nigeria? The answer is no. What President Tinubu is expected to do at this moment is to monitor the security expenditure. We have everything to fight the criminals who are terrorising us, but there is no proper monitoring of the funds.
It is true that Nigeria’s military expenditure is one the highest in Africa. Nigeria has the largest numbers of soldiers in Africa.
President Tinubu should also set up a committee that will look into the welfare of security agencies. In the last ten years, Nigeria has reportedly spent over N6trillion on security without seeing any improvement.
Nigeria is also ranked low on in dealing with terrorism despite the spending of billions of naira spent. Nigerians have a right to know how the country’s security funds are being spent. President Tinubu should begin to monitor security expenditure. Those who have diverted Nigeria security funds into their own personal purse should be made to refund the money into the country’s purse. Nigerians will be happy if this is done.
- Jimoh Mumin, Ibadan.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then