Push For Nigerian Army To Be In ‘First Line Charge’, Ndume Tells Musa

Senate Ali Ndume has urged the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who was screened yesterday for the position of minister of defence, to advocate for the inclusion of the Nigerian Army in the first line charge to ensure seamless disbursement of funds.

The former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army offered the advice in a statement it issued yesterday in Abuja.

The Upper House cleared the former chief of defence staff, whose nomination was conveyed to the Senate as a replacement for the former minister of defence, Abubakar Badaru.

Agencies on first line charges or statutory transfers, receive their budgetary allocations directly from the federation account before other ministries, departments and agencies.

Among those currently on statutory transfers are the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, the Universal Basic Education (UBEC), and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Ndume, who has consistently advocated for adequate remuneration for personnel of the Nigerian Army to boost their morale, maintained that military statutory transfers would eliminate the bureaucratic bottlenecks that often hinder the prompt procurement of arms and ammunition needed for operations in theatres.

He remarked: “While I commend him on his appointment, which most Nigerians acknowledge he deserves, he should persuade his superior, the President and Commander-in-Chief, of the necessity to place the Nigerian Army on First Line Charge.

“In addition to adequate funding for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, prompt disbursement of funds is crucial. He must ensure that the military receives its full capital budget, as failing to do so will result in operational difficulties.

“The security of lives and property is paramount. It is enshrined in the Constitution as the purpose of government to its citizens, and we must stop paying lip service to it. There should be no justification for delays in releasing funds for the military for procurement and its other strategic needs.”

The lawmaker also appealed to the former Chief of Defence Staff to take a more than cursory interest in the welfare of military personnel, particularly regarding their remuneration.

He stated: “My position on better welfare for our Armed Forces is already in the public domain. They are not the best paid in the West African subregion. Urgent action must be taken to convince them that we value the sacrifices they continue to make for the rest of us.”