The Ministry of Defense plans to use its 2023 supplementary budget and part of its 2024 budget to simultaneously end insurgency and terrorism, the Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, told a joint meeting of senatorial and parliamentary committees on defense in Abuja on Wednesday.
“The aim of the 2023 supplementary budget is to have simultaneous operations in all our theaters so that we can end insecurity in one go,” Badaru said.
He made the statement while defending the ministry’s budget before the Senate and House defense committees.
He said the ministry was determined to ensure that terrorists chased from one place did not move to another to continue their heinous activities.
Badaru said he believed the federal government would end the war, but would not disclose its strategies openly.
He commended the commissions for their constant assistance to the ministry in its drive to end insecurity.
The minister noted that the amount of N78.58 billion allocated to the ministry for the year 2024 was higher than the N62.9 billion allocated for the year 2023, and welcomed the commitment of the National Assembly to put an end to insecurity.
However, he called for an increase in overhead costs in the 2024 budget due to inflation and the rising cost of diesel.
“We are asking you to help us increase our overhead costs. We consume a lot of fuel and I appeal for this to be taken into account,” he said.
In his briefing, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defense, Senator Ahmad Lawan, said the Senate and Parliamentary committees would work diligently to review the ministry’s 2024 proposal.
He stressed that security was the basis for the smooth functioning of education, economy and other areas, adding that more resources should be allocated to defense to deal with insecurity.
Lawan also stressed that it was not enough to approve money, but it was essential to determine how that money had improved the situation.
“If we give you N100 billion, how has that improved the security situation in the country?” he asked.
“It will not be good to allocate money without justification,” he stressed.
The former Senate President commended security agencies for their hard work in securing the country.
In his contribution, MP Babajimi Benson, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense, said the National Assembly would continue to invest in security to ensure the growth and development of the country.
He said President Bola Tinubu had promised to ensure the safety of all Nigerians regardless of their status, adding: “you must work to achieve the administration’s goal.”
He assured that the committees would ensure that all allocated resources added value, adding that the lawmakers were aware of the challenges facing the armed forces, including the recent attack in Kaduna.
He promised that the commissions would ensure that adequate funding was allocated within available resources to meet the needs of the military.