A security expert, Olatunbosun Abolarinwa, has faulted what he described as huge budgetary allocations for security and defence in the last six years of the current administration, saying “the results and gain do not justify the expenditures.”
Blueprint checks revealed that from 2016 to date, Nigeria had budgeted N12trillion for security/defence to tackle the myriads of security challenges.
But when asked for his commitment, Abolarinwa, who is a security consultant based in Abuja, said the amount expended so far could not be justified.
“The amount expended so far is huge but the results and gain neither justify nor reflect the expenditures,” he said.
When asked to suggest what should be done, the security expert said: “Government and security agencies should start shifting away from kinetic approach and start engaging insecurity from strategic, non-kinetic approach.
“The federal government should caution and sanction politicians, who appear to be inciting violence in their speeches and probe how security votes is being spent in all arms of government,” Abolarinwa said.
In his opinion, Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Salihu Moh Lukman, said unlike the PDP administration, under the APC led government of President Muhammadu Buhari, the biggest investments in weaponry and equipment are being undertaken.
Lukman said “Hundreds of new platforms are being acquired for the Army, Air Force and Navy. The Nigeria Air Force has received 23 new aircraft since 2015, including the newly acquired A-29 Tucano jets. The Navy has similarly acquired its first new Landing Ship Tank (LST) since 1979.
“The Administration has also launched a Nigeria Police Trust Fund. Sadly, public discussion in the country is taking place as if nothing is being done. Opposition politicians and critics of government have even argued that these are wrong investments. Some have argued that rather than invest in acquiring arms, including the A-29 Tucano jets, government should have recruited more military personnel.”
