2022 budget: Reps ask Buhari to declare bandits as terrorist group

The House of Representatives on Friday beckoned on President Muhammdu Buhari to accede to the National Assembly’s resolution by declaring bandits as terrorist groups, in the bid to boost the prosecution of the anti-terrorism war in Nigeria.

Chairman, House Committee on Army, Hon. Abdulrasak Namdas who gave the charge during the 2021 budget performance and 2022 budget defence of the Nigerian Army as presented by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Farouk Yahaya, observed that the activities of bandits are getting even more sophisticated.

Hon. Namdas who underscored the need to train the men and officers of the Nigerian Army on counter-terrorism and banditry also underscored the need for men and officers of the Nigerian Army to be psychologically stable in the discharge of their duties.

While expressing grave concern over the low morale among personnel of the Nigeria Army due to their poor living conditions in military barracks across the country, the Adamawa lawmaker decried the sum of N28 billion proposed as capital expenditure for the Nigerian Army in the 2022 budget estimates submitted for consideration.

“It is the wish of this Committee to also draw the attention of the President to the plight of our officers and living in dilapidated structures scattered across 138 barracks in the country.

“Proposing N28 billion as capital for the Army 2022 is very inadequate. Even if the entire money is to be used for the rehabilitation of the barracks alone, it would still be very inadequate.

“It is our hope that the Armed Forces Fund Bill currently awaiting concurrence at the Senate when passed and assented to by the President would help tackle some of these major challenges.

“Our visit to the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigerian Army, Minna, Niger State was an eye opener. We were told that during the war period, TRADOC would be your alternate office meaning you can operate and issue commands from there. If that is true and if that is the case, TRADOC as a training and doctrine command needs to be supported as we have been doing more seriously to enable train our officers and men in counter terrorism and banditry,” he said.

In his presentation, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Yahaya who observed that the sum of N579 billion template approved by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, was inadequate to prosecute the ongoing war against terrorism.

While noting that the sum of N710 billion was initially proposed for the 2022 fiscal year, the Chief of Army Staff called for upward review of the subsisting envelope budget system which has over the years been a major challenge in the discharge of the Nigerian Army’s constitutional duties.

Lt. General Yahaya observed that the 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, banditry and other crimes across the country.

He therefore, urged the House Committee on Army to increase the initial N710 billion proposal, out of which the sums of N642.7 billion is for Personnel Emolument, N29.6 billion for Overhead and N37.6 for Capital Cost.

Lt. General Yahaya also called on the National Assembly to 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 and ensure timely release/cash-backing of the 2022 capital expenditure in the first quarter.

He maintained that timely and complete implementation of the 2022 budget will enhance the fulfilment of the Army’s constitutional mandate and engender peace for the socio-economic development of the country.

While giving a breakdown on the implementation of the 2021 Appropriation Act, he disclosed that Personnel Emolument was 78% level, Overhead cost stands at 73% level while Capital expenditure stands at 100 per cent, respectively.

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