TheNewsGuru

Tag: Security Funds

  • Insurgency: Ortom challenges FG to give account of $1bn security fund

    Insurgency: Ortom challenges FG to give account of $1bn security fund

    The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday challenged the Federal Government to give an account of the $1bn security funds jointly put together by the 36 states of the federation to fight insurgency in the country.

    Ortom stated this while addressing journalists at the Government House, Makurdi, shortly before the commencement of the State Security Council meeting.

    The governor wondered what the Federal Government had done with the money that insecurity has continued to escalate in the country.

    Ortom said he had mandated his deputy, Benson Abounu, who represented him at a virtual meeting of the Nigerian Governors Forum, to seek clarifications on the matter.

    He said, “What have they done with the $1bn the Governors Forum gave on behalf of the local governments for security? That money is huge. What have they done with the money that terrorists will kidnap citizens without any rescue mission?

    “It is even more worrisome and unthinkable that terrorists will threaten to kidnap our President. If that happens, that means we have no country again.”

    While emphasising that the primary responsibility of any responsible government is to ensure the safety of lives and property, the governor said the situation where innocent Nigerians are left at the mercy of terrorists was unacceptable.

    “We must not allow this to continue, it is very painful to see the country where it is today,” he said.

    The governor affirmed that security issues should be the concern of all, noting that it should not be tailored along political lines as protection of lives and property of citizens ought to be prioritised.

  • Bayelsa threatens to sue FG over $1bn ‘security fund’

    Bayelsa threatens to sue FG over $1bn ‘security fund’

    The Bayelsa State Government has threatened to sue the Federal Government if it refuses to deduct the 13 per cent derivation component of the $1 billion Excess Crude Account funds it plans to withdraw to tackle insecurity in the country.

    Recall that Governor Seriake Dickson had earlier demanded that the 13 percent derivation component of the funds be deducted and deployed in the oil-producing states to address the peculiar security challenges in the region.

    A statement by the Bayelsa government Saturday said although the President Muhammadu Buhari claims the $1 billion dollar would be used for security purpose, but many Nigerians doubt his sincerity.

    The statement said the state government had also formally presented its position to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who is also the Chairman of the National Economic Council.

    The State Commissioner for Information, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said in the statement that the state government was insisting that the 13 per cent derivation component of the money be deducted and sent to the various oil producing states as earlier demanded.

    Mr Iworiso-Markson quoted the State Governor, Seriake Dickson, as having explained that withdrawing the $1 billion without deducting and paying the 13 per cent derivation to the oil- producing states would amount to arm-twisting them to make double contributions to the security funds.

    The governor said that wholesome withdrawal of the funds inclusive of the 13 per cent derivation would mean that the oil producing states would be making double contributions because they would be contributing their allocations like all other states and then the 13 percent derivation constitutionally provided for, to address security and other pressing needs in the states.

    Mr Dickson had earlier called the attention of the Vice President, to the position of the state government on the proposed withdrawal of the ECA funds last December.

    The governor had stressed that while Bayelsa was not opposed to the withdrawal of the funds to enhance national security, “the utilization of the funds involving the armed forces, intelligence services and police must cover every part of the country.”

    “The Bayelsa State Government will approach the court to enforce deduction of the 13 percent derivation component from the $1 billion ECA funds which the Federal Government claims it plans to withdraw to tackle insecurity.

    “We have held meetings with the Vice President, President Yemi Osinbajo, on this issue. We even backed it up with a formal letter to the President through the Vice President which was taken to Abuja by His Excellency, the Deputy Governor and delivered by hand to the Vice President to underscore the importance we attach to the issue in question. Our position remains the same: while the state government is not opposing the planned withdrawal of the funds for security and indeed the general well-being of the society, it would be unfair and unjust to pull out the funds without releasing the 13 percent to the oil- producing states.

    “An arrangement that compels a group of states to contribute twice to the fund while their counterparts contribute only part of their statutory allocation cannot be said to be just. The constitution is clear on this and we shall approach the court to advocate our position,” the governor said.