Army Budget Shows Nigeria Not Serious About Ending Insecurity – Ndume

• “Go and check what Nigeria is spending on militarily and compare it with that of Chad”

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says budgetary allocation for Nigeria army signals lack of will and resolve to rid the Nigeria of insecurity that that has now left it on the brink of collapse.

Ndume said this on Thursday when he featured on a Channels TV programme.

He noted that ₦29 billion budgeted for the army’s capital expenditure in 2021 shows Nigeria is not serious about tackling insecurity

Ndume asserted that such amount pales in comparison with what neighbouring west Africa countries budgeted for their army.

There have been clamour for improved funding for the Nigerian army following decade long Boko Haram insurgency in the troubled northeast.

Recently, Ibrahim Attahiru, chief of army staff, implored the senate to allocate more funds to the military to procure weapons.

Ndume, who is the chairman of the senate committee on army, said Nigeria was in a precarious situation with the Boko Haram insurgency and the priority should be ensuring more funds for the military.

“If your house is on fire, are you going to measure the water to put off the fight? We are in trouble in the north-east particularly,” he said.

“Go and check the Nigerian army budget for this year that we want to review upward; it is less than N30 billion for capital and that is what they used to buy ammunition and other supplies (that) we are talking about.

“It is less than N30 billion and the budget of Nigeria is more than N13 trillion. Does that show any seriousness in any way? If we do not have peace, then all these things you are talking about, of what use are they going to be?”

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He disclosed that countries like Chad and Cameroon spend more on their military compared to Nigeria, noting that, though they are poorer that Nigeria, they place premium on security.

“Go and check what Nigeria is spending on militarily and compare it with that of Chad that is poorer than us, or Niger (Republic). Go and see the Nigerian soldiers and the Cameroonian soldiers. Their kitting is different from our own. It is superior to our own despite the fact that they are poor because they placed priority on their security.”