Former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, on Friday said he did not receive security votes at any time during his eight-year tenure as the state’s chief executive.
Fashola made the clarification while speaking at a Democracy Day event organised by The Platform, amid sustained public scrutiny over the use and management of security votes by state governments.
Security votes are discretionary funds allocated to governors to address security-related issues, but their opaque nature has continued to generate debate among Nigerians, with concerns over accountability and transparency.
Addressing the controversy, the former Minister of Works, Power and Housing said the common belief that governors personally collect or control such funds was inaccurate.
“I never received security votes at any point while serving as governor of Lagos State,” he said.
Fashola explained that all revenues accruing to the state during his administration were handled through established institutional frameworks rather than being placed under his personal control.
According to him, funds were domiciled within the state’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, a system he said ensured transparency and proper accountability in the management of public finances.
His remarks come at a time when calls for reforms in the administration of security votes have intensified, with civil society organisations and policy analysts urging greater oversight and disclosure to curb abuse and improve governance outcomes.
Fashola governed Lagos State between 2007 and 2015.
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