House C’ttee Members Spar over N6bn Interior Ministry Special Budget

House C’ttee Members Spar over N6bn Interior Ministry Special Budget


Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs were today divided over a N6 billion budget known as ‘Special Intervention Fund’ in the 2016 budget for the Ministry of Interior.

The Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazzau (rtd), explained the committee during the budget defence for the police that the fund would be domiciled in the ministry, so that the police and the paramilitary agencies can draw from it when funding is urgently required.

He explained that interventions for the police to restore civil authority in the North-east region would be from the fund.
Some of the committee members however disagreed that such huge amount be set aside 'idly', when the needs of the police and the paramilitary agencies can be identified for allocations to be made to fulfill such needs.

Others, however, stated that the money can be used for emergency funding probably to tackle criminal hotspots.

Hon. Jonathan Gbewfi (Nassarawa PDP) said the interventions for the police such as addressing the infrastructural deficit in North-east can be addressed in the budget of the police.
"Is it not duplicate? The police already know what they need and its in their budget. This country no longer has the resources to keep some funds laying idle somewhere. We can appropriate for their needs in their own budget. We cannot appropriate N6 billion somewhere else, a breakdown for how it would be spent," he said.

Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife (Anambra APGA) agreed, and added that the plan would create unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks before the funds can be accessed.
Hon. Prestige Ossy (Abia PDP) also argued against the fund.
"The police know their emergencies, their hotspots and infrastructure deficit. They should take care of what they need, appropriate the funds to them," he said.
Hon. Ayo Omidiran (Osun APC) however noted that the funds can be urgently channeled to wherever it is needed for security issues.
"The money is there for a purpose...if police needs it, it would be given to them, if prison needs it, it should be given to them," she said.