Reps Pledge Adequate Budget For Army To Battle Insecurity

The House of Representatives has pledged adequate budgetary provisions for the Nigerian Army to tackle insecurity across the country.

The House Committee on Army chairman, Hon. Aminu Balele (APC, Katsina), made this pledge at Monday’s 2025 budget defence session with the land forces.

After a closed-door budget defence session with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Balele said the committee was satisfied with the Army’s  2024 budget performance.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the Nigerian Army is allocated N1.143 trillion for personnel costs, N74.459 billion for overhead, and N238.166 billion for capital expenditures in the 2025 proposed appropriation.

Before the closed-door session, the chairman said the committee was committed to providing unwavering support, fostering cooperation, and maintaining solidarity with the military in securing the nation.

“As your representatives, we stand ready to aggressively champion your needs, fight for your resources, and defend your interests with a fervour that rivals any battlefield commitment. We understand that true patriotism is not about the fabric on one’s back but the conviction in one’s spirit.

“This committee has taken a clear mandate to advocate for the military as though we were directly in command. When we enter budget negotiation or oversight hearings, we do so with the mindset of commanders ensuring their troops have every possible advantage.

“Our constitutional powers regarding budgetary provisions and oversight are extensive, and we take this responsibility seriously. We are committed to providing unwavering support, fostering cooperation, and maintaining solidarity with our military counterparts.

“Rest assured, this committee’s determination to champion the welfare of our troops, ensure adequate power provisions, and promote capacity building at all levels remains steadfast.

“Today, we have achieved a lot in the sense that we have analysed and scrutinised the 2024 budgets, and more importantly, before we move into 2025, we ask so many fundamental questions, mainly what is happening in the country and the way forward, and you know this is a security committee.

“They give us some security inputs which we support, and we have to support them to see that in the next short time, they have addressed the question of this insecurity largely all over the country,” he added.