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Insecurity: Ndume seeks increased funds for Army

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Chairman Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume has called for the prompt release of funds allocated for the Nigerian Army, NA in the 2022 budget for the security agency to buy weapons to win the war against insurgency and banditry in the country.
Senator Ndume particularly urged the Senate  Committee on Appropriations to increase the capital fund allocated to the Army in the budget proposal for next year’s fiscal year.
The lawmaker, while fielding questions from journalists after presenting the report of his committee to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said wars are not fought with bare hands, and therefore, called on the federal government to change its funding approach on the Army.
“I said before, the Nigerian Army is at war, and all they need is what it takes to win the war and what it takes to win the war is to provide them with all the necessary platforms they need, arms and ammunition and pay their regular allowances.
“But it is not cheap, when you are at war, you are counting both human cost in quantity of money. And they need to get the kind of money they need to prosecute this war in time, the earlier the better.
“So, if you give somebody what he needs, then he is equipped to do the job, but if you give him in bits, it means he will be doing the job in bits. And in bits, it will take time, and the Committee (on Army) and everyone, including the media, have been giving us the necessary support.
“It is the issue of the capital that is allocated to the Nigerian Army annually. Because of the situation we find ourselves in this country these days were the Army is drafted into unconventional war everywhere in 32 states, there is the need to properly fund them.
“Therefore, there is a humongous increase in their overhead. But the capital aspect of it is grossly inadequate. No matter what you do if they don’t have the arms, ammunition, then the war cannot be effectively executed.
“We are here to ask for increase in the capital component of the Nigerian Army so that they will have the necessary resources and tools to prosecute the war they are engaged, unconventional war  everywhere.
“We are at war and therefore this committee (on Appropriations) should oblige us. We cannot give them all they need, but the committee should appropriately look at it so that we will address their challenges and there will be no excuse,” he stressed.
Earlier, the chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Barau Jibrin, said the report submitted submitted by the Committee on Army “is precise and straight to the point”, adding “we are satisfied with your report.”
“It is commendable what you are doing in this committee by making sure you do your oversight properly. The report speaks for itself by asking for more funds to be given to the Army to carry out its statutory function,” he said.

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