As part of efforts at improving Defence and Security perceptions of the benefits and practicalities of disclosing information to external oversight bodies, while designing new strategies and advocacy approaches to coordinate more efforts in applying pressure, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria in collaboration with Transparency International – Defence and Security Program with support from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands held a One-day workshop on improving external oversight and information disclosure in Defence and Security, focusing on public procurement, financial and personnel management. The session took place in Lagos on Wednesday.
In an Opening Remark from Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) enlightened participants on Information disclosure and accountability in the Defence and Security sector.
The Workshop attended by state actors, Civil Society, Media who brainstormed exhaustively on various thematic sessions, highlighting the following observations and recommendations.
OBSERVATIONS:
Delayed establishing a cordial working relationship between sub-national Civil Society and Defence and Security agencies, hamper effort at deepening demand for transparency, accountability and information accessibility in the Defence and Security sector.
Poor technical capacity across external oversight institutions including relevant Committees in the National Assembly and lack financial autonomy among related agencies hamper civilian oversight of the Defence and Security sector.
Contradictory and outdated legal provisions and poorly adopted foreign ones militate against information disclosure in the Defence and Security sector.
Lack of compelling power across oversight agencies to sanction wrong doings or hold Defence and Security sector accountable to reported or observed cases of corruption.
The following were also recommended.
.Promoting public awareness on the structures and operational mandates of Nigeria Police Complaints Response Units (NPF-CRU) at all levels, to complement reform effort, enhance accessibility and improve public demand for accountability in the Police Force.
.Strengthening internal accountability mechanisms within the Defence sector like Human Right Desks to facilitate and address human rights issues in operational activities.
.Subjecting members of the Defence and Security Legislative Committees as well as Defence contractors to thorough security scrutiny, to prevent corruption and conflict of interest.
.Ensuring adequate access to information and internally-generated data in the Defence and Security sector, to support Civil Society demand for transparency and accountability.
.Enhancing efficient external oversight of the Defence and Security sector through public awareness and engagement, strategic planning, strengthened legal and constitutional frameworks and financial management systems, human resource management, and improved civil-military relations.
.Institutionalising a centralized portal for information in the Defence and Security sector for easy access to data by external oversight bodies including Civil Society and the media.
.Immediate amendments to existing legal provisions to clarify between classified and non-classified information in the Defence and Security procurement, financial and operational activities.
.Strengthening inter-agency collaboration among external oversight bodies, to enhance collective support and build a formidable force demanding transparency and accountability in the Defence and Security sector.
.Strengthening Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, giving congnisance to public accessibility to its Annual Report with its extension to the Defence and Security financial and procurement activities as well as commercial ventures.
