The Nigerian Army has called for a review of the subsisting envelope budget system, saying over the years it has been a major challenge in adequately funding its constitutional duties.
The chief of Army staff Lt. General Farouk Yahaya made the plea on Wednesday at the budget defence of the Senate committee on Army in Abuja.
He urged the National Assembly to 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.
Indeed, the Army chief urged the Committee to passionately look into this with a view to correcting the anomaly.
The Army chief also bemoaned that in preparing for Year 2022 Budget, the Nigerian Army proposed about the sum of Seven Hundred and Ten Billion Naira N710billion only, saying the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning budget ceiling reduced it to a total sum of Five Hundred and Seventy Nine Billion Naira N579billion.
“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 criminalities across the country.
“The detail of this request is contained in the Nigerian Army Year 2022 Budget Defence booklet earlier submitted to thisdistinguished Committee” he said.
Continuing, Yahaya appealed to the 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 in the First Quarter 2022.
“This would help the Nigerian Army to rehabilitate dilapidated accommodations in over 138 barracks and training facilities across NA units/formations as well as procure the needed equipment and platforms to prosecute the war against terrorism and other criminalities across the country” he said.
Specifically, the army chief prayed; the sum of Six Hundred and Forty Two point Seven Billion Naira N642.7b should be approved for Nigerian Army Personnel Emolument for Year 2022 Budget.
“The sum of Twenty Nine point Six Billion Naira (#29.6b) only should be approved for Year 2022 Nigerian Army Overhead Budget.
“The sum of Thirty Seven point Six Billion Naira (N37.6b) only should be approved for Nigerian Army Year 2022 Capital Budget”.
Presenting the 2021 budget performance appraisal, Yahaya noted that in the outgoing Year 2021, the percentage performanceof Nigerian Army Budget for the Personnel Emolument, Overhead and Capital Cost as at 31 October 2021, was 78 percent, 73 percent and 100 percent respectively.
“While the 100 percent release of capital funds is commendable it should however be noted that most of the hardware requirements of the NA are priced in United States Dollars and also procured from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS) outside Nigeria”.
He explained that it takes quite some time from when equipment are ordered, supplied and inducted into operation. “Thus, I can conveniently state that the 2021 Budget Performance is fairly above average” the army chief added.
He assured that the Nigerian Army was committed to securing the territorial integrity of Nigeria from any violation, stressing that clearance operation to rid the country of Boko Haram Terrorists and other criminal groups are still ongoing.
“The timely and complete implementation of the Year 2022 Budget will thus enhance the fulfilment of the Army’s constitutional mandate and thus engender peace for socio economic development of Nigeria” he added.
Meanwhile, chairman of senate committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno south) in a closing remark observed that the committee was going to look at the budget of the army and act appropriately.
Ndume emphasised that there is need to support the Nigerian Army to enhance its performance.
“The commitee looked at the budget performance and was satisfied so far with what the military has presented to us, “except there was no difference in the budget of 2021 and 2022. The only difference was that in 2021, personnel increased from N460billlion to N530billion in 2022, surprisingly in capital allocation in 2021 it was N29 billion but in 2022, it is N28 billion, which is far below.
“Under the circumstances we are, what we are operating is gross inadequate.
“There is need to support the Nigerian Army so that we will put the security challenge behind us” he added.
