Arms Procurement: There’ll Be Trouble If Buhari Approves $1bn Without NASS – Rep

Arms Procurement: There’ll Be Trouble If Buhari Approves $1bn Without NASS – Rep

•Commence action against Buhari now, PDP charges N’Assembly

•Unlike PDP, our $1bn Boko Haram Fund not meant for 2019 Polls —APC

By Kingsley Omonobi, Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke ABUJA—The House of Representatives said, yesterday, that there would be trouble if President Muhammadu Buhari approves any money for arms procurement without approval by the National Assembly.

Chairman, House Committee on Army, Rimande Shawulu, who stated this yesterday, said the President lacks the constitutional powers to approve money for arms procurement without the mandate of the legislature, insisting that any such violation was bound to brew trouble between him and the National Assembly. The Senate had on Wednesday, taken a swipe at the Presidency, saying the President lacks the powers to give approval for such money without approval from the legislature. Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Ben Murray-Bruce, had said: “It has not been approved, it is simply the choice of words. The Presidency or the executive cannot spend a single kobo on such a mission unless the National Assembly approves that. “It is only when the Senate or National Assembly approves that the executive can go ahead to spend such money. The executive can only recommend and not to approve.” This is even as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday tasked the National Assembly to commence appropriate constitutional legislative actions against President Buhari for gross misconduct over the matter. Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday alleged that unlike the PDP, the fund is not meant to finance 2019 polls.

There’ll be trouble…
Shawulu, who represents Donga/Ussa/Takum/Special Area Constituency of Taraba State, said there would be serious trouble, if any money goes out for such purpose without approval from the legislature. He spoke to reporters in Abuja, on the sidelines of the Second Procurement Awareness Seminar, organised by the Directorate of Procurement, Army Headquarters. He said: “I can inform you that of recent, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the purchase of more equipment for the military worth $1 billion, Dan-Ali was quoted to have said while responding to questions from newsmen on Wednesday at the State House. “The fact of the matter is that there are processes for money coming into the federation account and for the money being used. And the point we must note too is that a lot of times, pronouncements are policy statements and the policy statements are not just executed, it’s not as if, when the announcement was made, the federation account was debited. No, it doesn’t happen that way. “When the President says he’s going to spend money, there’s a process that is followed before the money is spent. So, I want you to understand that, it’s not as if money has gone out. “However, if money has gone out without parliamentary approval, that’s is a problem, it’s a very serious problem if money went out without parliamentary approval.” In his opening remarks on the occasion, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, said there was no gainsaying the fact that the operational capability of the Nigerian Army today depends on the availability of requisite hardware, highly trained personnel and other essential resources. According to him, in the past few years, the Nigerian Army “has no doubt taken robust steps and put in place policies in enhancing its procurement plans and processes, with a view to meeting its constitutional roles. Buratai said the theme for this year’s seminar” Optimizing the Operational Capabilities of the Nigerian Army through an Effective Procurement System”, was quite unique and significant, especially in view of the acute need to strengthen the capacity of the Nigerian Army towards meeting the present growing security challenges. “The security challenges facing our dear country manifest in the forms of terrorism, insurgency, separatist movements and banditry, among others,”