$1bn Arms Fund: PDP Slams FEC, Urges Buhari’s Sanction …FG Risks NASS’ Wrath If… -Rep

The Peoples Democratic Party has condemned Federal Executive Council’s approval of $1billion to procure military equipment to fight insurgency, without recourse to the National Assembly.
The party noted this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday in Abuja.
The money is to be drawn from the Excess Crude Account.
The PDP urged the National Assembly to commence appropriate constitutional legislative actions against the government for unilaterally approving the release of the fund without allowing application of legislative instrument.
It also called on Nigerians to reject the approval, saying it was a renewed attempt to use the money to finance the All Progressives Congress’s national convention and 2019 campaigns.
It expressed concerns that the same administration that claimed to have technically defeated the insurgents still approved such amount to fight insurgency.
“Democracy thrives on constitutional processes of separation of powers, due diligence and transparency and not on totalitarian tendencies.
“We therefore urge the National Assembly to look into the Constitution and impose appropriate legislative instruments if any part of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) has been breached by this unilateral decision.
“We further urge the National Assembly to scrutinise the Constitution and other statute books for the purposes of strengthening the laws guiding the application of funds in our country.”
The party also demanded an independent investigation into the processes of release and utilisation of all special funds for war against insurgency in the last three years.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged Nigerians to reject the recent approval of $1 billion (approx. N370 billion) for the purchase of arms by President Muhammadu Buhari. The opposition party also urged the National Assembly to commence appropriate constitutional legislative actions against President Buhari for gross misconduct in unilaterally approving the release of the funds without recourse to the lawmakers.
The party in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the approval as a “renewed attempt by the Presidency to loot $1billion.”
This money, it added, would be used by the government to finance Mr Buhari‘s “interests in the upcoming All Progressives Congress (APC)’s national convention and 2019 election campaign.”
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Ali, revealed yesterday while speaking with journalists at the end of a security meeting that Mr Buhari had approved the release of $1 billion to Nigerian Defence authorities for the purchase of security equipment to fight insecurity in the country.
According to the PDP, its investigation revealed the presidency “willfully sidestepped the National Assembly so as to avoid legislative scrutiny and accountability to pave way for the diverting of the fund for selfish partisan purposes.”
“It is a notorious fact that the presidency and the APC have been plotting to loot this $1 billion from our heavily depleted Excess Crude Account (ECA) since last year, using the guise of fight against insurgency.
“This is the same Buhari administration that has been boasting of having technically defeated the insurgents. This is also an administration that is not known to have exhausted subsisting budgetary allocations for defence.
“Democracy thrives on constitutional processes of separation of powers, due diligence and transparency and not on totalitarian tendencies. PDP believes the President, as a leader, reasonably ought to have known that he is in no way above the law.”
Similarly, the Chairman, House Committee on Army, Rimande Shawulu, has warned of the grave consequences that await the non-confirmation by the National Assembly of President Muhammadu Buhari’s $1 billion for the procurement of arms.
The Executive Arm of Government had said the money was meant to procure arms to help address insurgency and other insecurity in the country.
Shawulu, who made this known in an interview with journalists, said President Muhammadu Buhari lacked the constitutional powers to approve money for arms procurement without the mandate of the legislature.
He warned that any such move was bound to generate more trouble between the presidency and the National Assembly.
The federal lawmaker, while reacting to reports quoting the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, that President Buhari had approved the sum of $1 billion for procurement of arms to battle insecurity in the country said, there would be serious trouble if any money goes out for such purpose without approval from the Parliament.
Hon. Shawulu, who represents Donga/Ussa/Takum/Special Area Constituency of Taraba State in the National Assembly, spoke to journalists shortly after declaring open the Second Procurement Awareness Seminar, organised by the Directorate of Procurement, Army Headquarters, as a Special Guest of Honour.
Defence minister, Mansur Dan-Ali had, in an interview with State House correspondents said, “I can inform you that of recent, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the purchase of more equipment for the military, worth $1 billion.”
But reacting to reporters’ questions who had sought his reaction on the reported approval President Buhari, Shawulu said, “The fact of the matter is that there are processes for money coming into the federation acounts and for the money being used.
“And the point too that we must note is that a lot of times, pronouncements are policy statements and the policy statements are not just executed, it’s not as if as at yesterday, when the announcement was made, the federation account was debited. No, it doesn’t happen that way.
“When the president says he’s going to spend money, there’s a process that is followed before the money is spent. So I want you to understand that, it’s not as if money has gone out.
“However, if money has gone out without parliamentary approval, that’s is a problem, it’s a very serious problem if money went out without parliamentary approval. “
Speaking at the occasion, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant- General Tukur Buratai, in his address, maintained that the operational capability of the Nigerian Army today depends on the availability of requisite hardware, highly trained personnel and other essential resources.
Gen. Buratai said that in the past few years, the Nigerian Army “has no doubt taken robust steps and emplaced policies in enhancing its Procurement plans and processes with a view to meeting its overarching constitutional roles.
He said the theme for this year’s seminar” Optimising the Operational Capabilities of the Nigerian Army through an Effective Procurement System”, was quite unique and significant, especially in view of the accute need to strengthen the capacity of the Nigerian Army towards meeting the present growing security challenges.
Moreso, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the purchase of military hardware worth $1billion for the use of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The President gave the approval during a meeting with the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), and the service chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Dan-Ali disclosed this to State House correspondents shortly after the meeting which also discussed the safe release of Leah Sharibu, the last of the Dapchi schoolgirls still in Boko Haram captivity.
According to him, the meeting also discussed security situations across the country and the steps being taken to mitigate them.
The minister further gave more updates on the fund approved by President Buhari.
He said the money was the same approved by the state governors to be withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account to fight insurgency in the country.
Others at the meeting include the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonosakin, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai.
Also present were Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.