SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, says the country is at war against insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and all manner of insecurity.
Speaking at a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish a special trust fund for the Armed Forces, today, Gbajabiamila said the security challenges facing the nation has made it imperative for additional funding for troops.
According to him, in time of war, no nation depend on annual appropriation to fund its armed forces.
In realisation of this, he noted that the House is planning a five day special security summit on national security to take an All-Nation and All-Government approach by examining extensively non-military solutions to our insecurity, including challenges with food security, environmental changes, economic development, criminal just this extensive and wider examination events.
“Even with these extensive and wider examination of our security challenges; we can better-trained need for and benefit of a well-equipped and better trained military in the fight against all forms of insecurity,” he said.
“It is a historic fact that countries during war times do not fund their military through regular appropriation alone. From the USA, to the United Kingdom extra-budgetary powers; their military was funded through extra budgetary means during periods of war.
“Nigeria is at war against insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping and all manner of insecurity; hence the need to uplift the resources available to our Armed Services to enable them procures the best tools to help win this war. So, what we seek to do in this Bill is not new or unique to us as a nation.
“The solution to our security challenges requires asymmetric actions across many policy areas. This is what we have tried to do as the representatives of the people. The concept of a Trust fund already exists for the Nigerian Police.
“It only makes sense to also bolster our military capability as well through this unique vehicle. In this Bill; the Board of the Trust Fund is full of eminent Nigerians from all walks of life; this should give confidence to all of the depth of knowledge and experience that will be available to manage this fund. The National Assembly will equally play its part in over sighting this work of this Trust Fund.”
