Army can’t fight terrorists, others with N579bn, COAS tells Senate by Sunday Aborisade

The Nigerian Army on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Government to exempt it from the annual envelope budgeting being adopted by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Farouk Yahaya, made the appeal when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Army to defend the 2022 budget. Yahaya told the panel that the sum of N579bn approved for the Nigerian Army for the 2022 fiscal year was grossly inadequate to fight terrorism and banditry in the country. He said, “In preparing for year 2022 budget, the Nigerian Army proposed about the sum of N710bn. “However, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning budget ceiling reduced it to N579bn. “This reduction would impede the capacity and tempo of the Nigerian Army in carrying out its constitutional duties particularly the ongoing war against Boko Haram terrorists and other criminalties across the country. “The National Assembly should prevail on the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to exempt the Nigerian Army from the current budget ceiling or envelope allocation system. “I therefore passionately appeal to this (Senate) committee to impress it on the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to begin the release of year 2022 Nigerian Army capital budget from the First Quarter 2022. “This would help the Nigerian Army to rehabilitate dilapidated accommodations in over 138 barracks and training facilities across our units, and formations as well as procure the needed equipment and platforms to prosecute the war against terrorism and other criminalities across the country.” He also requested the approval of N29.6bn as overhead cost and N37.6bn as capital expenditure. He assured the panel that the Nigerian Army was committed to securing the territorial integrity of Nigeria from any violation. Yahaya said, “The timely and complete implementation of the 2022 budget will thus enhance the fulfilment of the Nigerian Army’s constitutional mandate and thus engender peace for socioeconomic development of our country Nigeria.” He said the COVID-19 pandemic affected the global socioeconomic activities including that of Nigeria, adding that the attendant negative consequences allowed insecurity to fester. The army chief also said he recognised the need to boost the morale of the soldiers and that he had been doing so regularly. PUNCH.