By Onuminya Innocent
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume yesterday insisted that the Nigeria Army is under-funded
Ndume made the disclosure in Sokoto at the Nigeria Army 8 Divisional Headquarters, Kalambaina, during an an oversight function with other members of the committee.
Ndume further explained that they were at the division on an annual oversight function to know whether the money appropriate for them was being judiciously used.
According to the committee chairman, their second mission was fact-finding on the various military operations going on in the North-west region.
“You are aware that we have been briefed by the GOC and most of the information we shared are highly confidential,” he stated
He commended the GOC of the Division, Brig. Gen. Aminu Bande for fiercely waging war against kidnappers and banditry
He disclosed that apart from waging war against the bandits, the division has also lived up to their cooperate social responsibility by providing health service delivery , portable water and palliatives to the host communities.
“Comparatively, the security situation here is better than that of North-east ; here, with exception of few cases people could go to their farms,” he added.
He averred that the Army budget next year is not better than this year, adding that the budget is less than one per cent of the total budget.
Ndume stressed that though the Army did not complain but “I will complain on their behalf ; we are in war situation and you cannot win without equipment and other logistics; all these need money.
“With what is obtainable in other countries in the world, budgeting one per cent to Army in Nigeria is grossly inadequate,” Ndume reiterated.
Earlier in a closed-door meeting, the GOC briefed the committee on the activities of the division ranging from different operation against kidnapping, banditry , health service delivery and provision of palliatives to the host communities.
Nigeria Army 8 Division coordinates different operations in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states against kidnappers and bandits bedeviling the region.
