Budget 2012: The Security Spending Spree (3)

Sahara Reporters (This Day)

2 February 2012

Budget 2012: The Security Spending Spree (3)
Nasir el Rufai

We continue our detailed review of the 2012 Budget proposals today looking closely at the amounts earmarked for the office of the NSA, the SSS and the NIA. Our objective is to appreciate the huge amounts allocated and ask the standard quantity surveying question - is Nigeria getting value for its money?

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Are the amounts spent purchasing security for the Nigerian citizen, or are they making a few "security chiefs" and their appendages so stupendously rich, thereby exacerbating the income disparities, inequalities and injustice amongst us which in turn have contributed to the insecurity in our land? How are security budgets made up? How are they spent? Is there any oversight and accountability like other public funds? We will raise these and other issues, providing some insights about practices and spending processes for improvement.