Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has given insight into why terrorism and banditry persists despite the huge budgetary allocation for the defence sector annually.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday night, General Musa said the Armed Forces of Nigeria don’t have enough equipment to fight the terrorists because year after year, not all the funds allocated to defence were released.
Musa also noted that civilians conniving with terrorists and supporting them with supplies had been frustrating the military’s efforts to end the war.
The CDS also in the interview spoke on his follow-up to his visit to the Tudun Biri Kaduna State community where villagers were “mistakenly” bombed by the Nigerian Army on Sunday night. Reports indicated that over 90 persons were killed while about 60 others were injured.
On the rising defence budget and the raging insecurity, General Musa said there was a difference between what was budgeted for the sector and what was released.
In the 2024 Appropriation Bill, N3.25 trillion was budgeted for Defence while in 2023, the sector got N2.98 trillion.
According to the CDS: “In the past, you heard large sums of money approved for the military. But the question is, how much do we get? That is very important. Also, we don’t manufacture any of the items we use. We buy them in dollars. If you look at the amount released and you convert to dollars, how much is it?
“For instance, the $1 billion released in the past, the 12 Super Tucano (fighter) jets that were bought cost over $600 million. How much do you buy MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle), Armoured Personnel Carrier, tanks, ships, aircraft? So, you find out that the money released, when you convert them to dollars, you are not even getting much. Every piece of ammunition we buy is in foreign currency and we buy them in billions because we use them quickly.
“Yes, we cannot get all we need. No country does. The President (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) has signed the bill for DICON (Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria). We must produce what we need. Even with your money, you cannot buy most of the equipment you need off the shelf. You have to order for them and wait before you get them and that takes time. It is when the industrial complex comes on stream and we start producing what we need. It will be a lot better for us. We will continue to move. And as much as we get equipment, we will continue pushing.”
On how connivance by some Nigerians had been undermining the efforts of the military, the CDS stated: “We appeal to all Nigerians to cooperate. Security is everybody’s responsibility. I give you my challenge while in the North East. In some places, you find out that there are people even supporting them (the terrorists), giving them equipment and food. Every day, we fight them to stop taking to them fertilizer, urea and things that could make them fix Improvised Explosive Devices. It’s a challenge.”