Stop security votes allocation to governors – TUC

The National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Bobboi Kaigama has called for the abolishing of security votes for governors and other political office holders in the country. Addressing a press conference in Jalingo, Taraba State, yesterday, Kaigama described the approval of security votes to these categories of politicians as a conduit pipe […]

The National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Bobboi Kaigama has called for the abolishing of security votes for governors and other political office holders in the country.
Addressing a press conference in Jalingo, Taraba State, yesterday, Kaigama described the approval of security votes to these categories of politicians as a conduit pipe to siphon public funds.
The TUC president said the security votes which were unaccounted for, were diverted by governors and other public office holders at the expense of the masses.
He said aside from the security votes, governors did not account for their internally generated revenue (IGR) which was an indication that such monies were being converted into private use.
He said it was unfortunate that governors used public funds for their political campaigns, adding that the leverage given to them in Nigeria was too enormous and needed to be checkmated.
Kaigama disclosed that the TUC was collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to ensure that governors were made to account for the bailout funds released to their respective states by the federal government.
He said the first condition before states were created was that they should be able to pay their workers’ salaries  with the internally generated revenue of their states.
“It is  disheartening to note that in spite  of billions of naira that monthly accrue to states from the federation account including their own internally generated revenue they cannot pay salaries,” he said.
Kaigama therefore urged both the EFCC and the ICPC to ensure that all corrupt governors and other political office holders were made to face the wrath of the law.