Reps request update on recruitment of personnel, utilisation of budgetary allocation

The House of Representatives on Thursday requested an update on the utilisation of budgetary allocation for the equipping of the Nigerian Army as well as the recruitment exercises conducted over the past five years.

To this end, the lawmakers after the adoption of the motion on the ‘Need to ascertain the total number of personnel trained and recruited by the Nigerian Army from 2017 to 2021 and its current numerical strength,’ sponsored by Hon. Sergius Ogun resolved to invite the Chief of Army Staff.

In his lead debate, Hon. Ogun observed that Sections 88 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) empowers the National Assembly to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly.

“The House also notes that Section 1(3) of the Armed Forces Act Cap. A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria provides that the Armed Forces (in particular, the Nigerian Army) shall be charged with the defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by land and such other duties as the National Assembly may, from time to time, prescribe or direct by an Act.

“The House acknowledges that the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have been overstretched by the fight against insecurity in some parts of the country, which poses a threat to the peace and unity of Nigeria.

“The House is aware that in a bid to boost its military strength, the Nigerian Army has in the past five years (or more), conducted a series of recruitment exercises for persons desiring to be enlisted into the Nigerian Army.

“The House is worried that despite several personnel recruitment exercises conducted by the Army and the huge financial resources appropriated by Federal Government for its equipping, the Nigerian Army ranks 35th in the World Military Strength Index Report for 2022 as released by the Global Fire Power.”

On his part, Hon. Ahmed Jaha noted that apart from the contributory pension scheme, an individual army officer is entitled to insurance cover equal to three times of annual emoluments of that officer.

While alleging that Nigeria is operating without data and figures for organisations to rely on in order to help these agencies.

“If we look at what we have appropriated for the Nigerian Army alone, from 2020 till to date which is exactly three years, in 2020 N420 billion, N406 was for recurrent expenditure. In 2021 it was 460 billion, only 37 was for capital expenditure, and the remaining were recurrent expenditures.

“Currently 571 billion, less than 10% is for capital expenditure. So substantial money spent or released for the Nigerian Army is being spent purportedly on the Nigerian Army so we need to know the number so that we can justify the fund.”

While making input into the debate, Chairman, House Committee on Army, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas said: “both the mover of the motion and some of those who contributed are members of the Army Committee. But it will be unfortunate to say as the chairman of the Army in this House that we don’t know the number of personnel in the Nigerian Army.

“It’s not true, we have the numbers. But the truth is that it is not wrong because we just passed out about 5,000 Recruits just last week Saturday, I was there in the depot. So it could be added to the number that we have and it’s also not wrong if you want us to get the ticket number.

“Because even in the civil service, where people know the number of civil servants you still find when they are going to pay salary they will say okay let us do some kind of table payment to ascertain the number of people that are on the board… So if there is a call for us to know the number and they need it from the Committee, Mr Speaker we are going to oblige that.

“I want to tell you on record that the Deputy Speaker is here and he’s alive here, this Committee is one of the Committees that have never, all the motions that have been referred to this Committee we have not only dealt with this them by this Committee but we laid the reports before the House.

“So I will be surprised that if only what we are looking for in this House is just to get the ideal number, the exact number of people that have been recruited and trained that the committee on Army cannot afford to handle that than an Ad-hoc Committee, then it’s just like you are passing a vote of no confidence on the committee.

“And it’s unfortunate that mere records, I don’t even need to call the Chief of Army Staff to come to get the records of the personnel. All I need is to talk to the Chief of Administration to know. So if an Ad-hoc Committee is set up by the House, merely to get just a figure and a committee cannot handle it, Mr Speaker there’s a problem with this House.

“And I want to say that there was a time a motion was raised on the floor here where an Ad-hoc Committee was made to determine the equipment that was procured by Army, Mr. Speaker instead of allowing the Army Committee to handle it, it was an Ad-hoc Committee. But as I speak to you, that Committee has not lay its report before the House,” Hon. Namdas said.

To this end, the House mandated its Committee on Army to ensure compliance with the resolution and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

Also at the plenary, the House tasked authorities of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (NPTF) on the need to rehabilitate and furnish the Soro Divisional Police Station, Bauchi State which the Boko Haram terrorists destroyed.

The House also urged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Interior to embark on total rehabilitation of the existing Station of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps located in Darazo town.

The resolution was passed after the adoption of a motion on a sponsored by Hon. Mansur Soro on the need to rehabilitate the Nigeria Police Force and NSCDC Stations in Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.

“The House notes that the primary purpose of government is the protection of the lives and property of its citizens.

“The House also notes that Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, located in the Northeast is faced with the challenge of inadequate stations and office accommodation for Police and Civil Defence officers.

“The House is worried about the lack of commitment by the Nigeria Police Force to rehabilitate the Soro Divisional Police Station destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in 2013.

“The House is also worried that the project for the construction of Sade Police Station, Darazo Local Government Area was abandoned by the Federal Government in 2017.

“The House is concerned about the non-conducive environment in which the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operate in Darazo town.

“The House is cognizant that security agents can only operate effectively in conducive office accommodation and Stations.”

To this end, further urge the North East Development Commission to, by their mandate of stabilizing the North East, expand the existing operational infrastructures of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency.

The House also mandated the Committees of Interior, Police Affairs and the North East Development Commission to interface with the affected Agencies of Government and report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.

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