Rebecca Ejifoma
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has called for an increased budgetary allocation for the Nigerian Army following the reduction of the 2022 allocation to N28billion.
Ndume, who went alongside members of the committee, said this at the 81 Division Headquarters in Victoria Island as part of an oversight visit to Army Formations in Lagos State.
According to Ndume, “If we want to have a good Nigerian Army, we have to book more money for them to do what they are expected of.”
His statement is coming after the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Farouk Yahaya, kicked against the reduction in the allocation from N29bn in 2021 to N28bn in 2022.
While taking a stand too, the senate committee chairman described the budget as grossly inadequate.
“When the budget was presented to us, we were surprised, especially if the capital allocation to the Nigerian Army being implemented in this year’s budget is N29bn, which we consider grossly inadequate. To our surprise, instead of increasing it this year it reduced to N28bn.”
Ndume continued that even the overhead of the Nigerian Army compared to what is the total overhead of the federal government in the proposed 2022 budget, we have a total of N6.83tn.
“But the army, who are everywhere in unconventional war in the over 32 states, has N530bn allocation. They even need over N630bn.”
Acknowledging that they have discussed this at a higher level and are going to do something, the senator assured the army, “That is why the appropriation is before us. We cannot meet all the demands 100 per cent, but because of the priority, we will try to see what we can do to make sure we give the Nigerian Army.
“We have the Nigerian Army but they don’t have what it takes to be Nigerian Army. They need to get what they need in order to prosecute the war, especially these days. If we want to have a good Nigerian Army we have to book more money for them to do what they are expected of.”
Hence, he said the oversight visit is a follow-up to see for themselves what is on ground. “We have gotten to a point now that there is a kind of disconnect with Nigerians and the Nigerian Army and the unconventional challenges you are facing.
“We have been defending you as you know. We are trying to make the Nigerian public know what it takes to have a good army.”
He assured the Nigerian Army that there would be provision of their needs to do their job. “That is why we are here to see the challenges you face so that we can stand for you more from the background of knowledge and practicality.”
In his remark, the General Officer Commanding, Major General Lawrence Fejokwu, commended the visit of the committee, describing it as profound.
“It is through your visit that you will have undisputable assessment of how things are. We will lend our voice to our Chief of Staff.”
