ALMOST three months after the July 26, 2011 terror attack on the United Nations (UN) House in Abuja, where 24 people died, the international community is still using the incident and other bombing cases to gauge the security situation in Nigeria.At various talks with President Goodluck Jonathan, some world leaders have allegedly made security challenges arising from the activities of the Boko Haram sect the major issue. They were said to have charged the Nigerian leader to sustain the country's democracy to prevent it from 'becoming another Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq.'The President, however, seem not to be helpless over the situation as The Guardian learnt that after wide consultations with the security agencies and the leadership of the National Assembly, a consensus was reached among key government officials to vote more funds for the defence and security agencies for a mass offensive against the terror gang (Boko Haram) and other criminal groups.It was also learnt that the need to garner more funds for the coming crackdown on terrorism partly informed the N98.4 billion virement, which Jonathan recently sent to the Legislature.The only major opposition to the President's quest comes from the House of Representatives, which has rejected it, describing Jonathan's action as an alteration of the 2011 budget approved by the National Assembly.In the virement, the Police got N5.43 billion, while the Ministry of Defence (Army) received N2.84 billion. About N33.11 billion was given to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) N17.07 million. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development received N6.38 billion; Federal Ministry of Education N1.01 billion; Federal Ministry of Justice N64.25 million; Federal Ministry of Health N10 billion; Ministry of Aviation N13.52 billion and Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development N7.49 billion; Public Complaints Commission N80.34 million; National Sports Commission N1.46 billion.The Guardian learnt that Jonathan, who is attending the Commonwealth Summit in Australia, would use the meeting to explain the steps his administration had taken against the menace and also allay the international community's fear that Nigeria is no longer safe.There were also strong indications at the weekend that security would get more votes in the 2012 budget even as the government is reportedly pushing for an austere budget next year.In the 2011 Amendment Appropriation Act, the total allocations to the Ministry of Police Affairs is N12.93 billion, the Army got N121.42 billion, the Navy (N74.084 billion) and Air Force (N83.27 billion).Investigations have also shown that more funds are being sourced to meet the security challenges thrown up by the spate of bombings and resurgent militancy in the country.The push for the removal of subsidy on petroleum products and higher tariffs for utilities such as electricity, a Presidency official said, are some of the government's measures to free up more resources for the security sector.The source told The Guardian on condition of anonymity that President Jonathan 'is very worried' by the spectre of insecurity hanging over the country, which prompted him to hold a meeting with Senate President David Mark, the Service Chiefs, National Security Adviser (NSA) and personnel of intelligence units at the Presidential Villa recently, before he embarked on his recent four-day visit to some African countries.At the parley, Jonathan allegedly told Mark that the Executive and the Legislature need to work together to appropriate more funds for national security, stressing that the world is watching events in the country against the backdrop of the last bomb attack on the UN House in Abuja.The official said Jonathan summoned the security meeting following what several world leaders, including United States (U.S.) President Barack Obama, United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, buttressed during their meetings with him at the last 66th UN General Assembly in New York.They reportedly told Jonathan that sustaining Nigeria's democracy should be his priority, adding that the bombing of the UN House in Abuja was unacceptable as it indicated a breach in the nation's security network and that there was need to increase the capacity of Nigerian security operatives if President Jonathan hoped to defeat budding terrorism in the country.The source said the world leaders urged Jonathan to prioritise security on his administration's agenda, stressing that they do not want Nigeria turned another Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq 'where terrorist attacks are now the order of the day.'The source said President Obama told the Nigerian leader that his administration spends more on security because of al-Qaeda and related terrorist threats to the country, stressing that taking a cue from his security master-plan might help in stemming insecurity problems posed by Niger Delta militants and the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria.'President Jonathan is now making security a priority of his administration, so security spending is taking a huge toll on government's expenditure. At the last UN General Assembly meeting, different world leaders met President Jonathan on the insecurity issue and gave him several suggestions on tackling terrorism.'Back home, Jonathan at the Abuja meeting reportedly challenged the security chiefs to pick up the gauntlet and come up with robust strategies to stem the spate of bombings and militancy in the country.The President allegedly directed the security chiefs to furnish him with daily situation reports.According to the source, moves by the government to remove subsidy on petroleum products, increase electricity tariffs and the amendments made in the 2011 budget were all aimed at ensuring that funds were available to meet current security challenges.He said Nigerians should prepare for more austere measures next year, as the government plans to cut back on its subsidy provision and role in the economy in order to free up funds to pursue its Transformation Agenda.
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