Budget Defence: CNS seeks legislative support to reposition the Navy

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo, has called on the House Committee on the Navy (NN) to support it in its quest to reposition for effective service delivery.

A statement by the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Suleman Dahun, stated that Gambo made the plea while defending the 2022 budget of the service before the committee.

According to the CNS, the NN, had in the last two decades, been mainly pre-occupied with its policing roles especially, countering the threat of crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism and piracy.

This, he noted, included internal security breaches and asymmetric threats in the form of insurgency and terrorism, among others.

He observed that to continue to tackle these threats in the nation’s interest, the NN needed to budget for the acquisition of appropriate platforms, equipment and infrastructure, without ignoring personnel welfare.

While commending the Federal Government for boosting the renewal of NN’s fleet with some major platforms, the CNS added that more platforms were still needed to enhance the NN’s presence at sea, in defence of Nigeria’s maritime interest and sustaining ongoing efforts against crude oil theft and other maritime related crimes.

Giving a breakdown of the implementation of the 2021 budget, the CNS stated that the sum of N25,315,694,967.00 was appropriated and had so far been fully released, adding that 75 percent of the N8,430536,216.97 overhead expenditure had similarly been released.

He further informed the committee that for the year 2022, the NN’s capital budget proposal had been reviewed to N25,815,694,968.00, with overhead costs pegged at N14,240,714,955.00.

This, he said, was in line with the ceiling given by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, while personnel cost proposals amounted to N108,167,092,586.00 for the payments of salaries.

“Particularly the allowances contained in the Manual of Financial Administration for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (MAFA) 2017.“

Gambo identified the immediate challenges to the NN’s operational efficiency to include: inadequate platforms, inadequate jetties, inadequate arms and ammunition and obsolete logistics support facilities.

He added that the huge material and personnel cost for maintaining seized, arrested vessels, barges and shortage of barracks accommodation were also challenges of concern. (NAN)