Dec. 7, 2013
NSA, Dasuki decries delay in release of funds
Wale Odunsi, DailyPost
The Office of National Security Adviser (NSA) has disclosed that delay in the release of funds was affecting its efforts towards tackling security challenges posing great danger to the peace of the nation.
Represented by Colonel Bello Fadile, Director of Special Duties in the agency, the NSA, Sambo Dasuku, in a presentation before the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution on Wednesday, said despite the urgent and important nature of its job, the agency was poorly funded and receives its budgetary allocation late.
“As I speak, the Office of the National Security Adviser has not received its third quarter allocation. Last year, over N7 billion was not paid to the agency to do its functions,” the official explained.
The NSA urged the National Assembly to place the agency on first-line charge in the disbursement of funds from the national budget, as the process of constitution amendment continues.
According to him, having won a seat in the United Nations Security Council, Nigeria will now be closely monitored on how it reacts to emergency.
The Director further disclosed that the nation had been faced with challenges in the past, recalling an incident where President Goodluck Jonathan was almost stuck mid-air in France because Nigeria owed the country some fees that had not been paid.
“The Presidential fleet could have been stuck mid air because we were owing and we were taken to court in France. We had to pay close to €3m” He told the committee.
Speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the committee, Emeka Ihedioha, said the chamber had passed the Bill for financial autonomy for the police and national security agencies.
He said, it was done, after an interaction with security chiefs who identified lack of appropriate and timely release of funds as one of the challenges they face in emergency response.