The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party,NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has said that he never collected a dime from his security votes when he was the governor of Kano state contrary to what he inherited.
Kwankwaso was governor of Kano state from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015.
Kwankwaso while speaking on Sunday night at Town Hall Meeting organised by Channels Television in collaboration with UK Aide, Hope Action Progress for Women and Youth in politics, Situation Room, Yiaga Africa and the Partnership to Engage,Reform and Learn,PERL, promised to stop the allocation of security votes if given opportunity to rule as president next year.
“For the eight years I was governor, I have never taken one naira on the issue of security votes and I have inherited governments there were taking N10m in a day seven times, ten times. In fact, at a stage, we had a record of 12 times because the governor can only approve N10m so they would take N10m times whatever number they want,” he said.
“The only thing that we did not publish for the eight years I was governor was the money given to the security agents but we have the record. So, security votes, in my own opinion, is a big way of stealing money because that is why I have never done it; if I have the opportunity again, there would not be anything like security votes in the presidency.
“So, we have seen cases where a lot of money is been siphoned in the name of security votes and nobody can defend it and, in my opinion, I think that should be stopped using whatever means because it’s only a good way of taking cash from the treasury.”
Speaking further,the lawmaker expressed an openness to restructuring, including the enactment of state police across the federation, as long as it is in accordance with the constitutional provisions.
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“If you check our blueprint, you will find that we’re very much open to restructuring, including state police. They are part of our own understanding of restructuring,” Kwankwaso said
“While we believe that we will listen to the people, we will do the right thing, at the same time, we will follow due process. This is not something that the President will sit in his bedroom and announce the change of constitution to insert the issue that affects the relevant clauses in the constitution.
He stated that the various agitations in the country were borne out of government failure in many sectors adding that he would make things happen if elected.
“We are ready to follow due process as long as Nigerians are interested in that. But on the other hand, we believe most of these things coming up are as a result of government failure. Once everything is going well, all these things will die down.”