Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has disclosed that the Nigerian Army is carrying out a forensic audit of its units, formations and all operations across the country.
He said that this is part of efforts to ensure prudent utilisation of resources allocated to it and ensure that they justify what was being used to prosecute their operations, especially in the North- East.
Buratai made this disclosure on Monday in Abuja, when the principal partner of St Francis Xavier Solicitors, Barrister Ugochukwu Osuagwu, paid him a courtesy visit.
Osuagwu was the lawyer who prevailed on the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to disclose the content of Buratai’s asset declaration form in the wake of the Dubai property saga.
The Army Chief stressed that the Army under his command had zero tolerance for corruption as every activity of formations and units was being subjected to thorough scrutiny.
According to him, the wastages of the past were being corrected to align with the policy thrust of the present administration.
He said: “My officers know how much I have emphasised the need for basic audit of our accounts.
“The military police is presently carrying out a forensic audit of every formation in the Nigerian Army and in particular our operations in the North East.”
“We are looking into the details of how funds are utilised in all our operations especially in the North East in order to ensure that we justify what has been given to the Army,’’ he added.
Speaking further, Buratai attributed the successes recorded in the fight against terrorism in the North East to the judicious use of funds allocated to the Nigerian Army.
“Today the Army can beat its chest that it has defeated Boko Haram largely because of the way funds have been utilised,” he remarked.
Further details later