Dare Babalola
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has called for increased financial support for the Nigerian Army, stating that over 13,000 incoming recruits may be left without accommodation due to budgetary constraints.
Oluyede made the appeal on Thursday during a visit by the Senate Committee on Army to the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
According to Punch, he said the current envelope budgeting framework is no longer sufficient to meet the Army’s growing responsibilities.
“This year alone, we are expecting about 13,000 new personnel, but there are no corresponding resources to provide accommodation for them,” he said.
“We still have soldiers not being accommodated, and that number will continue to grow. We are not only looking at insecurity within, but what if someday we are challenged from outside?
“I want to pray that you look into this, and at the same time, look at how we can get special funds for us to provide accommodation for our soldiers. It’s very critical.”
The army chief said improved funding would also boost morale and operational readiness across the country’s military zones.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, acknowledged the funding challenges facing the military and pledged the committee’s support for improved budgetary allocation. He reiterated the need to remove the Army from the envelope budgeting framework to allow more flexibility in funding.
Yar’Adua revealed that members of the committee had visited military formations across Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Lagos states to inspect the status of ongoing projects. He said while progress had been made in many areas, some issues had been flagged for follow-up with Army leadership.
“We want to assure the Chief of Army Staff of our continued support and collaboration with the executive to ensure the Army is adequately funded,” he added.
The senator also noted that another round of oversight visits is planned before the end of the year to assess how the 2025 budget is being implemented.
