The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to increase budgetary allocations of intelligence agencies and direct the Minister of Finance to ensure the full release of all outstanding 2024 budget funds. During a budget defense session, committee chairman Hon. Ahmed Satomi stressed that timely and adequate funding is vital for national security.
Hon Satomi also raised concerns about the underfunding of the intelligence subsector, which received N595 billion, including N274.5 billion for capital expenditure, N107.96 billion for overheads, and N212.51 billion for personnel expenses.
He also noted that agencies like the National Centre for Counter Terrorism, the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) have not received any capital releases for 2023 and 2024.
The Permanent Secretary in the office of the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Danjuma, acknowledged the constraints of the envelope system of budgeting but emphasized the proposed budget’s focus on fostering collaboration, upgrading infrastructure, and enhancing personnel skills to address emerging security challenges.
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