Osinbajo To Military: Account For Security Expenditure – Newstrends
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Osinbajo To Military: Account For Security Expenditure

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Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has underscored the need for transparency in the management of resources meant for the acquisition of hardware for the defence and security agencies.

He spoke late Wednesday during a virtual interaction after receiving a presentation on “Defence Transformation and National Security: Strategic Options for Nigeria of the Future”, by the National Defence College Course 30 participants.

Daily Trust reports that Nigeria is facing a myriad of Foundation opens entry for Oxford scholarships challenges like terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and agitations for secession, among others.

Security breaches are ripe across all the six geopolitical zones including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as symbol of authority is being desecrated and civilians and security operatives killed.

While the federal government had been budgeting billions of naira on defence and security, experts believed the manner in which the resources are being spent is questionable; hence the call for transparency and in some cases probe.

In his presentation to the participants of the Defence College, the vice president said, “There needs to be more accountability because every time you hear about ‘we not having enough equipment,’ but there must be accountability.

“I will like to see a framework for greater accountability within the Ministry of Defence that ensures that they are able to account for military expenditure,” he said in a statement issued Thursday by his spokesman, Laolu Akande.

He said Nigeria’s current security challenges and emerging threats required the military and other relevant stakeholders to be several steps ahead of perpetrators while also stepping up local production of armaments.

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According to him, “If you look at the challenges that we are facing and the nature of those challenges, it is evident that we need to be many steps ahead of non-state actors in particular who are perpetrators of this asymmetric warfare that we are experiencing.”

Prof. Osinbajo, while commending the course participants for their efforts in proposing innovations in the defence sector, stressed the urgency of the local production of arms.

“If we say the local companies should produce some of the mobile platforms like Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle (MRAV), if we give them the contracts, they will produce, but if we choose to import rather than produce locally then we will never develop our military-industrial complex.”

Earlier in a presentation on behalf of the Course 30 participants, Col. A. A. Adamu proposed, among other things, the restructuring of the Ministry of Defence to reflect contemporary challenges as well as contain emerging threats to defence and security.

Other officials present at the event included the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, and representative of the Inspector General of Police, among other senior officers from the college.

Research report presentation by course participants to the vice president is a prominent feature in the annual academic calendar of the National Defence College.

Every year since 2016, participants of the college have presented reports of research conducted in key areas to the vice president.

Daily Trust reports that the specifics on the budget and other allocations to the defence sector are rarely made public amid outcry by troops for more equipment to confront the enemy.

There have been controversies about some releases to the security establishments.

For instance, on December 14, 2017, Nigerian governors approved the release of $1bn from the country’s excess oil account to the federal government to buy arms for the effective execution of the Boko Haram war.

The approval reportedly reduced the $2.3bn Excess Crude Account by half, a development that generated heated debate with some analysts saying the money would be stolen.

At the time of the release, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who briefed the press on the decision after the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), said the money would cover the whole array of needs, which included the purchase of equipment, training for military personnel and logistics.

However, in 2019, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd), said a huge amount of money approved for arms purchase under the ex-service chiefs could not be accounted for.

For instance, Gen Monguno cried out that he did not know the whereabouts of the $1bn approved by the governors.

The NSA office later issued a statement saying Monguno did not say money was missing.

The Presidency also reacted saying the funds allocated for procurement of weapons during the time of the former service chiefs were not missing, adding that procurements had been made but the arms were yet to be delivered.

The service chiefs were Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (Chief of Defence Staff-CDS); Tukur Buratai (Chief of Army Staff-COAS)); Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Chief of Naval Staff-CNS); Sadique Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff-CAS).

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The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said there was no way funds could disappear under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also said the NSA was misquoted, stressing that Monguno did not accuse the ex-service chiefs of misappropriation of funds.

Shehu said, “About the $1bn taken from the Excess Crude Account with the consent of state governors used for military procurements, I want to assure you that nothing of that money is missing.

“The reference by it in the interview of the BBC Hausa Service by the National Security Adviser has been misconstrued and mistranslated. NSA made two critical points -one is that we don’t have enough weapons, which is a statement of facts, and two procurements made have not been fully delivered.

“At no point did the NSA say that money has been misappropriated and that no arms seen. They have not been delivered, that is correct; these are things you don’t get off the shelves,” Shehu said.

Non-transparent military spending can create war economy – Expert

Speaking on the implication of the vice president’s demand, a financial crimes expert, Umar Yakubu, explained that non-transparency in military spending could cause a war economy.

“There is a need for more transparency in military spending because if we don’t, we are going to create a war economy where we will not be able to continue sustaining the corruption and where the war will not finish. That is one of the reasons insecurity has not gone down,” Yakubu said.

He stressed that Nigerians would have more confidence in the military and the work they do if they halt the current secrecy regarding their spending.

“If you look all over the world, one area where there seems to be lack of transparency and opaqueness is the military sector in relation to their expenditure.

“Most governments hide under the cover of insecurity to tell you that they are not going to disclose how much they are spending on insecurity.

He said for the vice president to call for more transparency, speaks volumes.

“If you look at the trajectory from 2017 to 2021, the military budget has been increasing by a minimum of N500 million every year. If I am correct, it is over N2trn now – just to the military.

“If you crosscheck with what the minister of finance said, their releases are high, it is not just only about their budget. The releases are high, maybe up to 90%.

“Now, if there is so much heavy military expenditure and when you ask them, they will tell you that they lack equipment, so what is the problem? Where does the problem lie?” he asked.

Efforts to reach the Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor proved abortive as calls to his mobile phone did not connect before filing this report.

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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

 

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)

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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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Dr. Samuel Ekerenam
Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel Ekerenam and k!lled his driver in Eket town, the headquarter of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Ekerena, the owner of Hephzibah Mall, was abducted about 10:00pm on Saturday, 23 November, 2024.
It was gathered that the gunmen trailed the victim to the shopping complex, shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away before whisking him away to an unknown destination.
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The body of Ekerenam’s driver was discovered in the pool of his blood, while his police orderly was severely wounded in the gun attack.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident on Monday, November 25, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has deployed tactical operatives to comb for the abducted businessman.
The PPRO added that the police were on top of the game and very soon the kidnap victim would be rescued and the perpetrators made to face the full weight of the law.

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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