Nigeria’s Security Challenges Requires Asymmetric Actions Across Policy Areas – Gbajabiamila

…Decries use of paltry 9% of budget for military equipment

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday declared that the solution to the nation’s security challenges requires asymmetric actions across many policy areas, saying that this is what the House of Representatives has tried to do.

This is as he decried the practice whereby about 91 percent of the annual budget of the Nigerian Armed Forces is spent on recurrent, overhead, salaries and welfare.

The Speaker said available records clearly showed that only about nine percent of the budgetary allocation to the Nigerian military is spent on equipment.

Gbajabiamila, who stated these at a Public Hearing on the Armed Forces Support Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, organised by the House Committee on Defence, expressed happiness that the bill seeks to provide an injection of additional capital funding for the Armed Forces at a crucial time of the nation.

Gbajabiamila further said; “I am sure many of you will wonder why the Armed Forces of Nigeria need an additional financial injection at this time.

“The fact-based on appropriation records is that about 91 per cent of the current funding to the Armed Forces goes on recurrent overhead, salaries and welfare, leaving only nine per cent for capital purchases.

“This reality has prompted this 9th House of Representatives to seek a way of providing funds that will be focused on the capital needs and training of our Armed Forces”.

The Speaker said that the importance of the bill is evidenced by the dwindling resources available to the Nigerian military to prosecute the various security operations it is involved in, adding that it requires innovative ideas to raise additional funds without placing any burden on Nigerians, in support of the Nigerian military.

He also said that the nation’s expenditure on military hardware and training showed that in the last five years it hovers between nine to 11 percent of budgetary allocation to the Armed Forces, stressing that it is grossly incapable of empowering the military to face the security challenges in the country especially the insurgency in the North East.

The Speaker also said that to succeed in the fight against insecurity, the Armed Forces of Nigeria need more funding for modern weapons and training.

In the words of Gbajabiamila; “Spending on military hardware must definitely increase to support the zeal and commitment already being exhibited by the soldiers.

“If Nigeria must develop, we need to get our security estate right by ensuring that our military is adequately equipped and well-trained; this requires funding that cannot be sourced solely through the annual budgetary provisions,” the Speaker said.

Gbajabiamila noted that during war times, countries do not fund their military through regular appropriation alone as seen in the United States, United Kingdom and all Western powers who engages in extra-budgetary funding.

According to him; “Nigeria is at war against insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and all manner of insecurity, hence the need to uplift the resources available to our armed services to enable them to procure the best tools to help win this war.

“The concept of a trust fund already exists for the Nigerian Police; it only makes sense to also bolster our military capability as well through this unique vehicle”.

Earlier in his remarks, Chairman, House, House Committee on Defence, Rep. Benson Babajimi (APC-Lagos) said that the bill seeks to explore alternative sources of funding for the armed forces.

Babajimi said that the need to create additional funding for the military has become apparent giving the myriad of security challenges facing the country, adding that since the Nigerian armed forces has continued to expand, there is the need to provide adequate weaponry and equipment to sustain the ever-increasing operations.