By Udora Orizu
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday said based on appropriation records, about 91 percent of current funding to the Armed Forces goes to the recurrent overhead, salaries and welfare, leaving only 9 percent for capital purchases.
This is as he stated that the country is at war against insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and all manner of insecurity, hence the need to uplift the resources available to the country’s armed services to enable them to procure the best tools to win the war.
The Speaker also disclosed that the House would next week host a five-day special summit on national security, to take an all-nation and all-government approach by examining extensively non-military solutions to insecurity in Nigeria.
Gbajabiamila stated these when he delivered his keynote address in Abuja at a one-day public hearing on the Armed Forces Support Trust Fund Establishment Bill 2021.
Recall that the House had on February 27, 2020, moved to address the funding needs of the Armed Forces by passing for the second reading a bill to create a special support fund for the armed forces of the federation.
The Speaker, who was represented by the House Leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa, said the realities prompted the lawmakers to seek a way of providing funds that will be focused on the capital needs and training of the Armed Forces.
The Speaker said Nigeria’s expenditure on military hardware and training in the last five years hovered between a paltry nine to 11 percent of the total annual budgetary allocation to the Armed Forces.
This, he said, was grossly incapable of empowering the military to face the security challenges in the country especially the insurgency in the North-east region.
He stressed that if Nigeria must develop, then there’s need to get the security estate right by ensuring that the military is adequately equipped and well-trained.
Gbajabiamila said the importance of the proposed legislation is evidenced by the dwindling resources available to the Armed Forces of Nigeria to prosecute the various security operations it is involved in, which requires innovative ideas to raise additional funds without placing any burden on Nigerians, in support of the Nigerian military.
According to him, “The solution to our security challenges requires asymmetric actions across many policy areas. To succeed in this fight, the Armed Forces of Nigeria requires more funding for modern weapons and required training. Spending on military hardware must definitely increase to support the zeal and commitment already being exhibited by our soldiers.
“The Armed Forces Support Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2021 is a time-limited endeavour to upgrade the equipment infrastructure of the Armed Forces in a deliberate manner that will better position them to be more effective in securing the country.
“The myriad of security challenges facing the country has continued to dwarf every developmental effort put in by the government. No nation develops in a state of insecurity as currently being witnessed in Nigeria. This bill has been crafted in a way that does not impose any direct additional burden on Nigerian citizens and businesses, but creatively make funds available through deductions from statutory receipts of the federal government as well as voluntary donations. I am happy to support this bill because it will help reposition our military capabilities in ways that can only strengthen our national security.
“I agree that the solutions to our insecurity as a country will not only be by military powers alone but also, by non-military engagement and development of our communities.”
On his part, the sponsor of the bill and Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said the need for additional sources of funding for the Armed Forces became more apparent considering the myriad of security challenges facing the country.
He lamented that effort in the past by the Armed Forces to procure the needed military hardware and provide requisite training to meet the challenges currently being faced has hit the brick wall due to limited financial resources.
Benson said: “In 2020, while Nigeria spent only $2.6 billion on its military, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa expended $9.7 billion, $4.8 billion and $3.1 billion respectively, to fund and equip their militaries. Coping with the modern security challenges being faced in Nigeria today is, no doubt, an enormous task that requires contemporary, robust, well-trained, well-equipped and efficient Armed Forces. The revenue sources are mostly statutory deductions as well as voluntary donations.”
