Stakeholders seek judicial intervention for transparency in military budgeting
Soldiers gesture while standing on guard (Photo by Audu Marte / AFP)
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and stakeholders across ministries have called for judicial intervention to ensure transparency in military budgeting following concerns on linkages between corruption and insecurity in Nigeria.
The appeal was contained in a communiqué signed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Musa Ibrahim and others at the end of a one-day workshop, organised by CISLAC/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), in collaboration with Transparency International – Defence and Security Project (TI-DSP), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR).
The workshop was to facilitate a national discourse on defence and security oversight, equip stakeholders with requisite tools to understand, interrogate and conduct effective oversight in the defence and security sector, as well as to elicit commitment from relevant institutions for a reformed sector.
Government was charged on implementing regular oversight functions by relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Finance and Budget Office, Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly, CSOs and the media to avoid wasteful spending and boost security in the country.
It was noted that addressing corruption is crucial to fostering transparency, responsiveness and efficiency within the sector, given the adverse impact corruption could have on the sector if left unchecked.
The group noted: “Corruption within the defence and security sector poses numerous threats and security challenges despite allocating substantial funds, amounting to over $19.9 billion from 2016 to 2019, to strengthen the sector. Nigeria has continued to experience worsening insecurity.
CISLAC stressed that a corrupt, weakened defence and security sector undermines effectiveness of security institutions, jeopardises peace, stability and security of the country, adding that graft erodes the efficiency of security forces, damages people’s trust in government, fosters disillusionment and threatens social contract and rule of law.
“Corruption can facilitate expansion of non-state actors and extremist groups, as it becomes a central theme in recruitment narratives, portraying these groups as legitimate alternatives to corrupt governments and elite,” it observed.
The stakeholders charged political leaders to enforce effective oversight of the sector and recognise the critical role of efficient leadership in the success of anti-corruption fight. They urged amendment of procurement laws for transparency and accountability in the sector.
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