The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP has criticised the Nigerian Senate over its refusal to probe military spending.
The SDP presidential hopeful spoke with journalist on Monday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, saying huge budget allocations have failed to translate into significant improvement in the security challenges facing the country at the moment.
Adebayo said it’s necessary for the upper legislative chamber to investigate how the nation’s Armed forces spends its annual budgetary allocation, for Nigerians to know whether the funds are going to the right channels, and what’s they are meant for.
On the Senate argument that such probe is capable of distracting troops on the battle field, the presidential candidate said such fear is unwarranted, condemning the opaque manner by which Armed Forced spending has been conducted over the years.
According to him, there’s nothing to show for the huge funds that have been allocated to the military over the years, saying the probe will enable Nigerian to know what’s is going on, and why the Armed Forces have been struggling to contain the insecurity in the country.
Not a few Nigerians have called for such probe, because, they believe that it will unravel the challenges currently being faced by the nation’s Armed Force, particularly as regards the procument of weapons and platforms to tackle problems such as banditry, terrorisms and kidnapping in the country.
The presidential candidate noted that nothing so far to show for the over N5 trillion budgettary allocation to the miliatry in the 2025 budget, saying the funds may not have got to the troops who need them on the battle field, adding thag it will be wrong to continue to money for the Armed Forces without any positive results on the nation’s security situation.
Adebayo: “The issue is not just budgeting money for defence. It is whether the money reaches the armed forces and is properly utilized. This administration budgeted N5.413tn for defence and security without any positive result.
“The legislative arms of government said they want to probe, but the Senate told Nigerians that it will undermine the troops’ morale and operational effectiveness. The truth of the matter is this: the money in question is even supposed to be for future defence, not for security or intelligence.
“So, don’t disturb yourself about that drama in the National Assembly. I can tell you that even the budget that is there now will not reach the armed forces. The budgeting system in Nigeria operates traditionally like an election. They will say we must hold elections every four years, yet it will be conducted anyhow.”
The SDP presidential candidate’s remark is coming on the heels of the degenerating security situation in the country, particularly in the last few weeks.
Last weekend, Nigerians woke up to the grueling reports that a former Director of Defence Information , General Rabe Abubakar, who was kidnapped few weeks ago had died in the custody of his abductors.
Few days later, his wife who was abducted alongside him in Katsina state was rescused by security forces from the bandits, who shot her while fleeing their hide out, after operatives of the Nigerian Army launched an assault on their camp. The couple was kidnapped on May 30 by kidnappers.
Also, over 40 school children kidnapped from Orire Local Gvernment in Oyo state, on may 15 by suspected terrorists are yet to be rescsued form their abdcutors, a situation that has elicited serious outrage from not a few Nigerians who insist that the military are either overwhelmed or not getting what they need to defend the country from security threats posed by non-state actors such as bandits, terrorists and kidnappers who are currently holding the country on the jugular.
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