Finance Ministry Denies Withholding Army Budget, Says N1trn Released So Far

The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning say all the funds appropriated for the Nigerian Army were being released as and when due.

It said N1trn had been released for the Nigerian Army from 2019 till April 2021.

The minister, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this during an interactive session with members of the Senate Committee on Army, chaired by Senator Ali Ndume.

The military authorities had complained of shortfalls in terms of releases of appropriated funds from the Ministry of Finance.

The minister said apart from funding the budget of the army almost 100 per cent, there had been a lot of instances where the security service went to the president, got special approvals “and we still provide funds.

“So perhaps what we’re providing is not enough, but the fact is we provide what’s budgeted and we provide what’s approved.”

She said out of the N1trn released to the army between 2019 and April 2021, N129.69bn was for capital; N39.76bn, overhead; N681.79bn, personnel and N157.6bn, special releases.

She said her ministry did not have any view of the actual utilization of the funds.

“What we’re doing is releasing the funds,” she said.