The senate through its committee on Defense Wednesday Faulted the lack of Synergy between the Ministry of Defence , parastatals under it and other security agencies.
The chairman senate committee on Defense Ahmed Lawan said this when the Minister of defence Mohammed Badaru appeared before the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Defence to defend its 2024 Budget Proposal.
The minister told the committee that he does not have access to the proposals of all parastatals under the Ministry , but ministry alone
Chairman of the committee faulted the minister for restricting the budget defence to the ministry headquarters alone.
The Committee describes the situation as abnormal that must be addressed to restore synergy among the country’s Security structure .
The Minister of Defence in his presentation says N78.5 billion is the proposed allocation for the Ministry’s Headquarters for the 2024 Fiscal year .
However , the Minister appeals to the Lawmakers for an upward review of the Ministry’s Overhead Cost to mitigate current economic realities.
On his part, Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson says No amount is too much to spend to protect the internal security of the nation.
He says the proposed Armed Forces Support Fund Bill if passed will help the budgeting system
The Committee tasked the Ministry to ensure value for money as it pledges Legislative support to ensure the provision of more resources for the Ministry.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
