The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, has stated that the N2.74tn allocated for security in the 2023 Appropriation Act is inadequate.
He said the entire Federal Government budget of N21,827,188,747,391 is “insignificant” when converted to United States dollars.
Benson said the capital component of the security budget, especially for the Armed Forces, should be pulled out of the current envelope budget system.
READ ALSO: 2023 Election: Drama As Hon. Shekarau Resigns From APC
The lawmaker said this on Tuesday while featuring on a TVC show, Your View.
Responding to a question on if the amount allocated to security was adequate, Benson said, “As you are aware, the 2023 budget was signed yesterday. Of course, it is about N21tn and 13 per cent of it was earmarked for the Defence sector, which came to about N2.74tn. Yes, the money is huge. In fairness, you must continue to spend (on security). Show me a prosperous nation, you will see that security in that country is very high. The budget, though huge in naira terms; converting the money to dollars makes it a bit insignificant.
“You must also be aware that personnel and other costs…the Armed Forces is one of the agencies in the world that take care of you from when you join (them) till when you die. There is nothing that you buy from your pocket. Even your burial is taken over by the Nigerian Armed Forces. So, Mr President, in his kind wisdom, signed what is called the MAFA (Manual of Financial Administration) which is an enhancement of the welfare of men in service. These are our brothers and sisters who put their lives on the line to make us secure.
“We are here today because Nigeria is secure. So, no matter what we do, we must put them first. The notion where Nigerians say Nigeria is at war; it is not Nigeria that is at war, it is all of us that are at war. The government is trying to enhance the budget. It is good but it could be better. On whether this amount will be enough, it is never enough.”
