Have Northern Governors Scored A N228 billion Own Goal?

N228 Billion Fund Without A Charter

Governors of the northern states have pledged to donate N1 billion each to the newly established Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund.

With the pledge, the 19 governors could set the conditions for financing the operations of security and intelligence agencies in the region, a constitutional responsibility of the federal government.

While the move lacks legal support, the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, SSS and NSCDC could be competing for their share of the N228 billion yearly pledge.

Inadvertently, the governors may also be indicating that they can comfortably fund and maintain the creation of state policing outfits should the constitutional amendment process for the devolution of such powers scale through.

The governors have named former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, and former Defence Chief, Gen. Martins Agwai, as co-chairmen of the board to manage the fund.

But they have said very little about the funding options available for state police and haven’t brought it up at the National Economic Council, the legal body to share financial ideas with the federal government.

It suggests that the current revenue-sharing formula is fine; the Presidency and National Assembly have also not brought up any options for funding state police.