The Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, yesterday described the N160 billion in the 2016 budgetary allocation to his outfit for procurement of ammunition as very negligible for the force to carry out its function effectively.
Buratai, who appeared before members of the House of Representatives Committee on Army to defend his budget, stated that his outfit was allocated the sum of N160 billion out of the N526 billion needed in the 2016 fiscal year, saying the amount allocated was grossly inadequate.
He said: “The ministry went below what we actually need minimally. This honourable House should assist to ensure that what we proposed is given to us. The significant drop is not from us but the budget office, but we will appreciate your efforts to make it up so that we can function well.
“If we can get N520 billion today, Nigerian army will not be the same again. We will make sure that our barracks are rehabilitated and troops and their family members are taken care of.”
The INEC chief, who also spoke yesterday during the budget defence before the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja, said the amount would be used for the various logistics and other activities connected with the re-run elections to be held between now and March 19 this year.
Stating that the commission has limited time to conduct the re-run polls based on the provisions of the law and the court orders nullifying such elections, he added that after the re-run polls, the commission would wait for the outcome of the various election tribunals and court rulings before deciding on the next line of action.
A breakdown given by the former acting chairman of the commission Mrs. Amina Zakari, indicates that the commission was allocated N62.537 in 2015 out of which N18.99 billion was for personnel, N8 billion for capital projects, N2.5 billion for overhead and N28 billion was to support the 2015 elections and other bye-elections.
As for 2016, said the commission’s proposal was N45 billion from which N20.955 billion was for personnel, N19 billion for electoral recurrent, N2.260 billion for capital projects and N2.507 billion for overheads.
Chairperson of the committee, Dukku, demanded for the schedule of the various purchases to be made by the commission, saying they would visit all the state offices of the commission for members to see for themselves what are on ground.
Dukku said the committee would give the commission the needed support for it to start preparation for the 2019 elections well ahead of time.