Former Lagos State governor and ex-Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, has said he never received security votes during his eight-year tenure as governor of the state.
Fashola made the disclosure on Friday while speaking during a panel session at The Platform, a public policy forum organised by The Covenant Nation in Lagos.
Speaking on the controversial issue of security votes, the former governor said he was unfamiliar with the concept as it is often described by some public officials.
“Whenever I hear some of my colleagues talk about security votes, I don’t know what it means because I never had it in Lagos. Maybe others did, but I can only speak for myself because I was the governor,” he said.
“I was governor and there was no security vote. All acquisitions and expenditures were domiciled in the Ministry of Budget and Planning. So when people say governors received money as security votes, I don’t know what they are referring to. I don’t know if Governor Saraki, who is here, received such funds, but I certainly didn’t.”
Fashola explained that security initiatives in Lagos were largely funded through public support and transparent mechanisms, particularly the Lagos State Security Trust Fund.
According to him, the state maintained a structured approach to security management, including regular consultations with stakeholders and periodic public accountability sessions.
“We held a monthly security meeting every first Wednesday of the month for eight years, and I never missed one,” he said.
“We relied heavily on data. We established a Security Trust Fund where individuals and organisations contributed resources. The accounts and assets were audited, and every year we held town hall meetings to explain to Lagosians how resources were being utilised and to present crime statistics showing trends and outcomes.”
The former minister noted that combating crime requires more than security operations, stressing that policy interventions and data-driven strategies are equally important.
“Crime is dynamic. As you solve one problem, another emerges. It is not a battle won solely with arms and ammunition; it is also won through effective policies and constant adaptation,” he said.
“It is an ongoing responsibility for those entrusted with public safety. The work never truly ends.”
