Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-General Faruk Yahaya says the N579 billion budgeted for the army in the 2022 appropriation bill is not enough for it to fight against Boko Haram and other criminal elements in the country.
He said when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Army for a budget-defence session on Wednesday.
Yahaya said the Nigerian Army proposed the sum of N710 billion while preparing the 2022 budget, but was reduced to N579 billion by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning budget reduced it.
“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 criminality across the country,” he said.
Yahya also said the Federal Government should exempt the army from the “envelope” budgeting system.
He urged the National Assembly should ask the Ministry of Finance to commence the release of the 2022 capital budget of the army so it could procure the needed equipment to fight insurgency and criminality across the country.
“This would help the army to rehabilitate dilapidated accommodations in over 138 barracks and training facilities across our units and formations as well as procure the needed equipment and platforms to prosecute the war against terrorism,” Yahya said.
