The House of Representatives has requested President Goodluck Jonathan to investigate how the Defense Headquarters and other security agencies have spent budgetary allocations to the defense sector as it prepares to begin consideration of the $1 billion foreign loan request by the President.
Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Albert Sam- Tsokwa, noted that in view of the huge sum of money being allocated to the sector yearly and the formidable challenge faced by the military from Boko Haram, there was need to look inward.
Sam-Tsokwa, who disclosed the priorities of the lower house on resumption, said the lawmakers would demand a probe into defense spending to ensure that the nation got value for the huge sums it had put in the sector in the bid to fight terrorism.
He said “in doing that, we would tell the president to investigate the spending of the military to know the true position on the state of the nation or we would be forced to take up the matter.”
The House Committee Chairman stressed that information coming out on the activities of Boko Haram unleashing terror on soldiers is worrisome;therefore, the House wants the president to embark on soul searching.
Hear him: “I don’t think that our inability to contain insurgency is due lack of funds because never in the history of the Nigeria has huge fund being appropriated for defense. I think Mr. President should look inward and find out exactly what is happening to the defense budget.
“That’s why military personnel on official assignment are being attacked freely; the Boko Haram members are nonentities. Why are they having an upper hand? Let the president do an in-house search, but certainly there are enemies within,” he reasoned.
On other matters the House would focus on, Sam-Tsokwa revealed that the green chamber would discuss the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and efforts taken to contain it. “Significantly as we resume, we have certain pressing issues, first we have the Ebola issue which is so threatening.
“Just before we proceeded on recess, we passed a resolution, urging the Federal Government to put in place measures to forestall its spread to Nigeria from other West African countries; although the president had taken measures we still want to be very sure that the virus is completely contained in the country,” he added.
