Perhaps, the military high command will need to give Nigerians some explanations.
It is baffling to see that the security budget which stands at N960billion in 2014 and an average of N900billion each in 2012 and 2013, is completely eroded by an 89% recurrent expenditure. Why?
Recent revelations in the media show that the military spending over the years is undermining the war against insurgency, as 89% of its budget is devoted to recurrent expenditure and only 11% on weapons. This is rather worrisome. If Nigerians would recall, the 2008 defence budget of N444.6billion was the highest ever, as at that time, in the history of Nigeria. Analysts, however, believed then that the rising budget spending for security over the years could have been influenced by a constellation of forces. In the 2008 budget policy thrusts presented by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua to the legislature on November 8, 2007, it supposedly reflected that the N444.6 billion was for security and peace in the Niger Delta. It would appear that the mega figure was aimed at political correctness and possibly intended to show new commitment heights for security and the development needs of the Niger Delta.
Apparently justifying the need for the bogus budget, officials said it was also intended to signal to the international community that Nigeria is sparing no expenditure in ensuring peaceful co-existence among the citizenry and the interest of the businesses. All of that changed with the emergence of Boko Haram in the security equation in Nigeria. The violence unleashed by Boko Haram has been perfectly complemented by armed robbery, kidnappings and ritual killings across the six geo-political zones. Ethnic clashes and kidnappings are also rife. In Jos, capital of Plateau State, mass burial of victims of ethnic conflict led to more blood-letting on the spot. Members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) began rejecting postings to troubled spots with justification, after the Bauchi mayhem claimed scores of its members’ lives following the outcome of the 2011 elections.
On daily basis, there were cries of despondency and government appeared to be helpless. Can the Federal Government restore security? What was responsible for all the sporadic bombings? These were puzzles that seemed to have no answers. As a result of these challenges, Nigerian leadership decided to tackle them, so it seems, by raising the defence and security votes. From 2012, the Nigeria security budget stood at an average of N900billion naira annually, putting the nation on the elite global rating on military expenditure, ranking alongside Egypt and South Africa as Africa’s largest spenders.
Ironically, while the defence budget sky-rocketed over the years, the military capability appeared to have dwindled as evident in its inability to routinely wipe-out the Boko Haram insurgency, to the consternations of Nigerians. Besides, there were claims by military operatives of obsolete weapons and equipments as well as poor motivation of personnel. In the midst of the huge defence budgets? Some analysts had to call on the National Assembly to institute a probe into the defence spending. This Newspaper did join that school of thought in an earlier editorial.
Today, as events are playing out, it becomes more worrying to note that, going by current revelations at the defence headquarters, while the security budget is on the increase yearly, recurrent expenditure scandalously grew to wipe it out; to the extent of 89% for recurrent and a meager 11% for capital expenditure (armament). We are at a loss as to what in the nation’s defence mechanism would have made the recurrent expenditure to grow by that magnitude between the budgets of 2008 and 2014. To the best of this Newspaper’s knowledge, there was no astronomical increase in the number of military personnel between the period to warrant the quantum leap in personnel emoluments and operational incidentals that are otherwise known as recurrent expenditure.
Perhaps, the military high command will need to give Nigerians some explanations. The country spent N233 billion in 2009, representing 0.90 percent of the Gross Development Production (GDP). It is agreed that defence is a critical sector and has, no doubt, enjoyed favourable consideration in funding, especially in recent years compared with the past. For instance, the sector got N264 billion in 2010 and this rose to N348 billion in the 2011 budget. But it is baffling to see that the security budget which stands at N960billion in 2014 and an average of N900billion each in 2012 and 2013, is completely eroded by an 89% recurrent expenditure. Why?
