In a bold and revealing statement, the Nigerian Presidency has shifted part of the blame for the country's escalating insecurity to state governors, accusing them of underfunding security agencies despite receiving large security votes.
This comes in the wake of continued violence in Plateau, Benue, and Enugu States, where dozens of lives have been lost in recent weeks.
According to Naija News, the Presidency—through Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication—criticized state governors for not adequately supporting key security institutions like the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Army at the state level.
Bwala made the comments during an appearance on TVC’s Beyond the Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye on Monday evening.
“Some of these governors allocate as little as ₦20 million per month to the SSS, police, and army in their respective states, despite receiving security votes ranging from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion,” Bwala stated.
The Reality Behind Security Votes
Security votes are monthly funds allocated to governors for discretionary use in tackling security issues in their respective states. However, these funds are not subject to legislative oversight or public accountability, making their usage often unclear.
Bwala's remarks bring into sharp focus the long-standing concern about transparency and the actual impact of these funds on the ground.
“We cannot expect federal security agencies to bear the entire burden when state governors are receiving huge security allocations and doing very little with them,” Bwala added.
Call for Accountability and Collaboration
The Presidency's comments appear to be a call for more accountability and better collaboration between federal and state authorities in tackling Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
Analysts have long argued that while the federal government controls the nation’s security architecture, state governments must take greater ownership of their local security landscapes through better funding, intelligence gathering, and community engagement.
With security continuing to dominate national discourse, this development may further intensify calls for state police and reforms in how security votes are allocated and used.
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