There is often a huge amount of money allocated to states as security votes to fight insecurity in Nigeria.
Despite this huge amount, there is little or nothing to show for it in most state. Kidnapping and assaults by dissident groups have been a regular.
This has triggered different discussion around the subject of security votes and now it has become an issue of concern to all the governors of the 36 states of the federation.
To this end, it has become imperative for the governors to meet with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to iron out thorny issues around the security votes.
The meeting is expected to hold on Tuesday virtually.
Concerned parties must be well represented including the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
Also, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) will be part of that meeting.
Spokesman to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, made this known in a statement.
Meeting Agenda
He said that “the governors as well as the economic and financial agencies in the country will use the opportunity to resolve issues surrounding their states’ security votes”.
According to him, this would help in establishing a better option for managing the funds.
“Furthermore, the meeting will also consider deepening the management and expansion of the cashless policy which took effect from the time of the redesigning of the national currency, the Nigerian Naira, last year, to further the financial inclusion of all citizens in the ensuing scheme of things, going forward,” the statement read.
“This meeting is called at the instance of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU.
“It is in its letter of 30th March, which was addressed to the Chairman of the NGF and signed by the NFIU Director, Modibbo Hamman Tukur.”
Apart from the facilities for national financial inclusion, the governors will propose uniform development and cooperation on the national addressing and postcode project.
This will put Nigeria on the same pedestal as all advanced countries across the globe.
Also on the agenda is a consensus on harmonising and updating the national tax collection and business entry standards and their requirements to help respond to the FATF and the EU grey listing in which Nigeria appeared.
All governors are advised to prioritise the meeting, as its contents had been discussed at the NGF emergency meeting on Thursday, March 30, where it was unanimously agreed that a meeting with the agencies was imperative.
