By Levinus Nwabughiogu

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General, Tukur Buratai has advocated for a separate budgetary system for the Nigerian army where it would not be included in the current envelope system.

To this end, he appealed to the National Assembly to prevail on the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning for that purpose.

Buratai made the plea while defending the 2020 budget of the Army before the House of Representatives Committee on Army.

The Army chief said that the exemption was necessary in light of the ongoing structural changes and volatile security challenges as well as massive engagement of troops in almost the 36 states of the Federation.

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He also stated that only 40 per cent of the 2019 capital component of the Army’s budget has been released.

According to him, the delay in the release of the remaining has affected the Army’s decision of purchasing the required sophisticated equipment to effectively prosecute the war against insurgency and terrorism.

It, therefore, called on the Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning to release the balance to help the Service buy the relevant hardware.

Vanguard News Nigeria.