The Federal Government of Nigeria has explained reasons for the disbursement of N1.15bn for the purchase of 10 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) for the neighbouring Republic of Niger.
Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the weekly federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to her, the move was to enable the country to safeguard its territory in the best interest of Nigeria’s security.
She said said it was not the first time Nigeria was supporting her neighbours.
She argued that the President had a responsibility to make such decisions in the best interests of Nigeria.
She said, “Let me just say that, over time, Nigeria has had to support its neighbours, especially immediate neighbours, to enhance their capacity to secure their countries as it relates to us.
“This is not the first time that Nigeria has supported Niger, Cameroon or Chad, and the President makes an assessment as to what is required, based on the request of their president and such requests are approved and the interventions provided is to enhance their capacity to protect their own territory as it relates to security also to Nigeria.
“Nigerians have a right to ask questions, but also the President has a responsibility to make an assessment of what is in the best interest of the country. And I cannot question that decision,” the Minister said.
Recall that an online news medium published a report on Wednesday that President Buhari approved N1.15bn to purchase 10 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles for the Nigerien government.
The record, which was sourced from the ‘appropriations’ page of the Ministry’s website, showed that in July 2022, N1,145,000,000 was approved for payment to Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited to supply the SUVs to Niger Republic.
