Army Collected N54billion in Two Years, Finance Minister Tells Senate
Finance Minister
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Tuesday told the Senate that the Nigerian Army collected N54billion in two years.
The amount was paid between January 2019 amd April 2021, the Minister disclosed while appearing before the Senate Committee on Army.
She said, ”If you permit me we have to put up some of the information that we have on that capital funding of the Nigerian Army in 2019 was N19.6 billion, N12.6 representing 64.3 percent was released, in 2020 N24.37 billion 100 percent, 2021 N29 billion released as at May we have released 17.98 which is 61 percent.”
The Minister made the clarification after her Ministry was accused of withholding the sum of N50bn as outstanding to be paid to the Army.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Army, Ali Ndume however said he has not seen soldiers holding brand new AK47, adding that it has been the old ones.
He said, ”I interact with the soldiers, I have gone through the formation, I cannot see a soldier holding brand new AK47. It is so bad that the Nigerian Army is rationing ammunition among soldiers. I can be quoted. In a budget of N13 trillion, you are allocating the N30 billion”.
The amount was paid between January 2019 amd April 2021, the Minister disclosed while appearing before the Senate Committee on Army.
She said, ”If you permit me we have to put up some of the information that we have on that capital funding of the Nigerian Army in 2019 was N19.6 billion, N12.6 representing 64.3 percent was released, in 2020 N24.37 billion 100 percent, 2021 N29 billion released as at May we have released 17.98 which is 61 percent.”
The Minister made the clarification after her Ministry was accused of withholding the sum of N50bn as outstanding to be paid to the Army.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Army, Ali Ndume however said he has not seen soldiers holding brand new AK47, adding that it has been the old ones.
He said, ”I interact with the soldiers, I have gone through the formation, I cannot see a soldier holding brand new AK47. It is so bad that the Nigerian Army is rationing ammunition among soldiers. I can be quoted. In a budget of N13 trillion, you are allocating the N30 billion”.
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