The Director-General, Defence Research Development Bureau in Nigeria, Air Vice Marshal U.P Uzezi, has made a passionate appeal to the National Assembly to increase its yearly budgetary allocation for military research and technology.
Uzzi made the appeal when he received the Senate Committee on Defence, led by its Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wamakko in his office in Abuja.
Providing a breakdown of the bureau’s budget performance for 2019 and 2021, Uzzi lamented the paucity of funds for military research and called on the National Assembly to ensure an upward review of the money allocated for military research, to enable it effectively prosecute the war against insurgency in the Northeast, as well as tackle other security challenges in other parts of the country.
“The money appropriated has been well spent and for the things we are doing, a lot has to do with funding to solve a lot of problems that our troops are facing in the North East, North West, and North Central; the issues of insurgency, banditry.
“We will account for 2019-2020 budget, you will see that very paltry sum has been given to research and development, and research and development cost a lot of money”.
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According to the military top brass, Nigeria is going through a lot of insecurity, especially in the Northeast, which requires its military to prosecute it with superior firepower, pointing out that the military research centre is expected to be the driving force.
“Our country is going through very challenging times and the armed forces are at the fore of resolving the challenges that we are facing.
For any armed forces to function effectively, they need equipment, they need capabilities that are technology dependent”.
“I believe that those who initiated the idea of a bureau like this foresaw this, and indeed there is no country that can attain self-reliance in technology without research and development.
“Nobody is going to give it to you free, you have to find your way of achieving it, and that is why this bureau is very significant, not only for the attainment of military technology, but the spin-off from our research has a wider impact on our society and technology as a whole. It is also expected to drive our economy.”
In his opening remarks, Wamakko said the visit was aimed at carrying out a first-hand assessment of the military facility, to understand its challenges and constraints.
“We are here as part of our mandate to have an assessment of the challenges and constraint.
“We want to also hear about your 2019 and 2021 capital budget. We are concerned about the security situation; what is being done and what are the constraints. We are here to have a first-hand assessment,” he said.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
