…urges FG to direct deployment of modern technology
By Tunde Opalana
Move by Senator Adams Oshiomhole to reawaken the consciousness of the Senate to its parliamentary responsibility of oversighting activities including expenditure of the nation’s security agencies and armed forces was on Wednesday shot down by his colleagues.
Miffed by the resurgence of bomb attacks in the North East geopolitical zone and general incessant security threats in the country, the Edo North senator had suggested probing budgetary allocations to the armed forces through strict oversight of activities and spendings of security agencies by the parliament.
Senator Oshiomhole raised the concern in an additional prayer he moved during the debate on a motion by the Senator representing Borno South and Majority Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume on last weekend suicide attacks in Gworza Borno State and the urgency to stem the tide of the ugly menace.
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Recall that on Saturday, 29th June, 2024, brazen suicide bombers targeted a wedding ceremony, funeral and hospital in a sporadic and coordinated attacks in the Gwoza town of Borno State, which resulted in the unfortunate deaths of about 32 innocent Nigerians so far, leaving scores of other victims wounded with varied degrees of injuries;
Senator Oshiomhole had moved for an additional prayer that while he was not contending with the call for more funding for the military, it is equally important for the Senate to be alive to its constitutional responsibility of oversight to investigate judicious utilisation of previous funds appropriated to the Nigerian military forces.
According to the former governor of Edo State, it is sad to note that a few military service chiefs in the past failed to expend operational funds on purchase of military hardware and equipment and spent much funds in building universities and other military institutions.
He lamented that such universities do not offer courses in military strategy but they are just glorified public institutions.
He, therefore, charged that senate committees on military and armed forces should strictly monitor spending of funds appropriated in the past.
When the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over Wednesday’s plenary, put into question possible adoption of the additional prayer, majority of the senators in the hallowed chamber shouted the prayer down with a thunderous “nay”.
Oshiomhole in his submission had said: “My additional prayer is that the Senate Committee on Army and Air Force should ensure that we do not only provide more money to the armed forces, that we guide jealously what they use that money to procure.
“Because under the supervision and oversight of this National Assembly, previous service chiefs, they have added money to build universities in their various communities. Those are the kind of resources that should be used to procure modern technology. And to think that money will be diverted to non-essentials.
“And as we speak, those institutions are not teaching anything about security. They are just another glorified university. I think that this house has the power to appropriate. We should focus strictly on the items that the Army and the Air Force and other security agencies are going to spend the money to do. Otherwise, everybody knows we need modern technology.
“This House under your leadership, we have provided supplementary appropriation to the armed forces. Throwing money at the problem will not solve it. We must assist them to redirect their procurement policies to focus on this technology.
“Otherwise, we can decline to approve appropriation if the details are not such that those managing the system will use the money strictly in a manner that will do justice to our collective feeling about redirecting and moving more and more towards technology.
“This is my additional prayer, Mr. President. It can be worded more elegantly, but I just believe that we need to tie the hands of the procurement people to procure more and spread more in those areas that the armed forces competence will be better enhanced.”
Questioning the wording of Oshiomhole’s prayer, Akpabio said “the only problem with the additional prayer is the allegation that previous service chiefs diverted money to build universities. Did they build personal universities or public universities? “
Answering, Oshiomhole said: “Mr. President, they built public universities. And I believe that if half of that money was used to strengthen the NDA in terms of competence of the men and the rest used to procure modern technology for the emphasis, the emphasis will be far more competent.
“Just last year when we were doing the supplementary budget, we saw that the Navy, if we are prepared to buy a yacht, that is why the oversight responsibility of this Senate is extremely important to prevent the armed forces to prioritize in a manner that coincides with what we think the Nigerian Army should be doing.
Oshiomhole’s prayer was seconded by Senator Neda Imasuen (Edo South).
Putting the prayer to question, Akpabio said: “The prayer that the money appropriated to the military should be directed to the core values, to the core mandates, which is to protection and procurement of materials and instruments that will aid them in securing our country rather than undue expenses on universities or procuring yachts.
“So, distinguished colleagues, the additional prayer proposed by the distinguished Senator Adams Oshiomhole is to the effect that we should mandate our Senate committees on Defence, Navy, Air Force, and Army, should immediately oversight and monitor that all appropriations made by this Hallow Chamber are not diverted by the service chiefs to construction of universities in their communities as happened in the past, but rather injected into the purchase of weaponry and technological equipment meant to fight insurgencies.
“This prayer has been seconded. Those in support of this additional prayer say ‘aye’ and those against say ‘nay'”.
Upon asking the question a second time, the chorus shouts of ‘nay’ overwhelmed those who are in support of the prayer.
However, an additional prayer by Senator Sumaila Kawu urging the federal government to seek collaboration with private security contractors on how to root out insurgents in dark sports such as Sambisa forest, Mandara Mountain and Lake Chad region was adopted.
Other senators that contributed to the debate included; Tahir Monguno (Borno North), Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North), Jim oh Ibrahim (Ondo South), Neda Imasuen (Edo South), Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) and Ned Nwoko (Delta South).
Senator Monguno said the resurgence of suicide bombing in Borno State is very unfortunate and calls for concern while calling for all hands to be on deck to curb the ugly menace.
Former senate president, Ahmad Lawan called on the federal government to prioritise investment in security forces.
Lawan said drones technology can sufficiently be deployed by the armed forces to effectively fight all sorts of insecurity in all parts of the country.
Jimoh Ibrahim said living with insecurity can be dangerous and that security agencies should use more technology because the military has to use unconventional strategies to fight unconventional war.
Neda Imasuen said the nation’s military should not wait till happenings of such nature to happen before taking actions.
He wants the military to sit tight and re-strategize, making use of intelligent gathering rather than adopting a fire brigade approach whenever such incidents occured.
Senator Karini added that apart from investing in military hardware and deployment of 3technology, government should give priority to adequately good road network.
While calling for addressing the primary reasons for insurgency and terrorism, Senator Ned Nwoko asked the Senate to once again convey a stakeholders meeting to address insecurity.
Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro challenged the Nigerian military to take the fight against insecurity serious and confront the terrorism and insurgency frontally.
Senator Ali Ndume while presenting the motion noted that these attacks have raised significant concerns about the security situation in the North East region, which has been a flash point of terrorist attacks over the years.
He said this calls for concerted and coordinated efforts of the security agencies to address the state of insecurity in Borno State and other parts of the country, experiencing similar situations.
Ndume said “in today’s word, asymmetric warfare, whereby its strategy and tactics, differ significantly from the normal conventional war, the approach by our security agencies should be scientifically and technologically based with the use of modern software and facilities to fight the menace,”
Prayers previously adopted and passed were that a minute silence in honour of those innocent Nigerians who lost their precious lives from these unfortunate events was observed.
Others were that the Senate “urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to intensify efforts by providing relief materials to the victims of the attacks; and
“Urged the Federal Government to direct the security agencies in the country to deploy the use of modern technology in the fight against insurgency and to make concerted efforts in securing the hot spots inhabited by the insurgents, namely, the Lake Chad Region, Sambisa Forest; and Mandara Mountains, respectively.”
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