Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Chairman, Senate Committee, Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has indicated that the National Assembly would make some adjustments in the defence budget to meet current security challenges in the Country.
Ndume, while speaking with journalists in Kaduna, disclosed that the allocation for the Armed Forces contained in the 2020 budget proposal before the National Assembly was grossly inadequate in view of the current security challenges.
The Senator led joint members of the National Assembly on fact finding mission, needs assessment and oversight to Army formations in Kaduna State.
He said although N100 billion was allocated to the defence sector in the budget, the amount, which is less than one per cent of the total budget size, was grossly inadequate.
“There is nothing more important than security to Nigerians. Even if half of that budget is to be spent on security, they will be glad because if you are not secured all other things will not work”.
Ndume emphasised that, the Nigerian Army is in the forefront of trying to address the security challenges, hence, the need to make adjustments in the budget.
The Senator however expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Executive will take another look at the provisions made for defence even without the intervention of the National Assembly.
The committee members also paid a courtesy visit to Governor Nasiru El-Rufai at the Government House to seek his assistance in ensuring that all hands are put on deck to tackle the security challenges.