BY CAROLINE AMEH
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South), has called on parliaments across the world to adopt supportive budgetary approaches for their respective Ministries of Defence as a strategy to curb escalating insecurity globally.
Senator Ibrahim made the call during a PowerPoint presentation on Power and Insecurity at the recently concluded 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly held in Uzbekistan.
He argued that insecurity remains a major challenge facing many countries and can only be effectively tackled through strong financial support for defence institutions.
According to him, a supportive approach to annual defence budgeting is critical to reversing the growing wave of insecurity in various regions.
“The central question for governments and security agencies should be: security for whom, when, and how?” he queried.
“Addressing power and insecurity issues alongside their ecosystems is key to the security of the geocentric system,” he emphasized.
The senator, who holds a doctorate degree in modern warfare, also highlighted the link between poverty and insecurity, stating that governments’ failure to adequately address poverty only worsens security challenges.
He called for bold leadership and the courage to address the underlying fears and systemic failures that drive insecurity.
“Life is increasingly tricky amid this struggle, yet we still maintain a defence structure. It is only a matter of time before one of these emotions, fear or courage prevails,” he stated.
“I saw fear within government leadership, leading to unprecedented crises and heightened insecurity,” Ibrahim added, noting that fear-driven governance can fuel instability.
He further cautioned that when parliaments focus solely on oversight of security expenditures without collaborative engagement, they may unintentionally undermine national security efforts.
He, therefore, advocated for a shift towards a more cooperative model that promotes both accountability and effective support for defence institutions.
“Parliaments should prioritise efficient systems and processes in managing security spending, with particular attention to combating fraud in defence budgets,” he advised.
