The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, has warned against the envelope budgeting system for the Armed Forces which is currently operated by the Nigerian government
The Army Chief, who stated this during his budget defence in Abuja explained that the reduction of the Army’s budget size would impede the operational efficiency of the military.
General Yahaya also requested the parliament to facilitate the exclusion of the Army and other military outfits from envelope budgeting system.
He decried the reduction of the Army budget size from N710 billion it proposed to N579 billion approved by the Minister of Finance and the Budget Office for the 2022 fiscal year.
According to him, “In preparing for the Year 2022 Budget, the Nigerian Army proposed about the sum of seven hundred and ten billion naira (N710 billion) only. However, 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 (N579 billion) only.
“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 this Distinguished Committee.
“This would help the Nigerian Army to rehabilitate dilapidated accommodations in over 138 barracks and training facilities across various units/formations as well as procure the needed equipment and platforms to prosecute the war against terrorism and other criminalities across the country.“
In specific terms, the Army boss said the sum of N642.7 billion only should be approved for Nigerian Army personnel emolument for the year 2022 Budget, N29.6 billion be approved for overhead , N37.6billion for 2022 capital projects.
“The National Assembly should cause the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, to begin the release of the Year 2022 Nigerian Army capital budget in the first quarter of the fiscal year.
“The National Assembly should 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.“
Territorial Integrity
He however added that despite the inadequate funding that the Nigerian Army remain committed to securing the territorial integrity of Nigeria from any violation, as the clearance operation to rid our 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 our country Nigeria,“ he stressed.
Buttressing the submissions of the Army Chief, the chairman of the Committee, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, said it is wrong to put the security agencies in envelope budgeting.
“As a committee, the budgetary allocations proposed for the Nigerian Army in 2022 is grossly inadequate, the very reason envelope budgeting should not be used for the military at this time of serious security challenges in the country.”
PIAK
