…to provide more fund for Military in Supplementary budget
Adekunle Adesuji,Abuja
Senate on weekend grilled Service Chiefs for four hours over Worsening security situation in the country as the lawmakers await Supplementary budget in order to make more fund for Military to tackle insurgency.
Speaking after the closed door which lasted for four hours , Senate President, Ahmad Lawan said submissions made by the Security Chiefs , show that the problems are being confronted headlong by them .
” At the closed door session the Senate had with the Service Chiefs , desire , design and determination of the various security agencies in addressing the security situation , were explained to the satisfaction of all Senators around.
” Challenges confronting them were also tabled as well as required interventions needed “, he said .
The service chiefs who appeared before the Senate are Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of the Naval Staff, Awwal Gambo; Chief of the Air Staff, Ishiaka Amao; the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba; the Director General, Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufa’i.
According to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the Chief of defence staff spoke on behalf of the service chiefs and explained to the Senate what should be done to tackle the insecurity challenges.
Before the closed door meeting, Lawan had said that the Nigerian Military was yet to tackle insecurity challenges because of inadequate resources at it disposal.
Lawan’s verdict comes just few days after the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had said that the Buhari administration overfunded the Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East.
According to Mrs Ahmed, the Buhari administration has been funding the military, adding that even special requests made to the President by the security agencies were funded 100 per cent.
But speaking before Senate plenary on Thursday shortly before the closed-door session with the security chiefs, Lawan said the military was performing within the limited equipment it have.
Recall the Senate had resolved to summon the service chiefs to appear at plenary over the increasing killings, kidnappings and general insecurity in the country.
“Once again, I welcome you and trust us with what you think will help us as a parliament to help the cause of Armed Forces and other security agencies to perform better because you haven’t achieve the optimum and I can attribute that to inadequate resources,”Lawan said.
Also briefing Journalists over what transpired at the closed door session, the Spokesman of the Senate, Basiru Ajibola, said the National Assembly will be waiting for supplimentary budget from the relevant government agencies to help in tackling insecurity.
He said, “We did not talk about money. We did not talk about figure. We had a high level discussion on general challenges and requirements for us to have an efficient and effective security.
‘The details of what ever will go into supplementary appropriation can only be worked upon by the Ministry of Finance, which is an executive arm together with our relevant Committee and such are not matters that we will go into details. Of course, everybody know that security is a serious matter for which you cannot take with levity when it comes to ensuring appropriate appropriation for that.
“We are ready to receive supplementary budget. “
