Nigeria's Buhari will have to contend with lawmakers over $1bn arms fund

Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari will have the lawmakers to contend with if he approves the $1billion arms procurement fund.

The country's National Assembly consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives have sent strong signals to the President following the announcement by the Minister for Defence, Dan Mansur Ali on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.

In separate statements, the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives said the President has no constitutional powers to procure arms without the lawmakers assenting to the procurement.

House of Reps will battle President over arms procurement

Chairman, House Committee on Army, Rimande Shawulu, noted that the President lacks the constitutional powers to approve money for arms procurement without the mandate of the legislature.

Shawulu insisted that should the president go ahead with the procurement, such violation was bound to brew trouble between him and the National Assembly.

“I can inform you that of recent, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the purchase of more equipment for the military worth $1 billion, Dan-Ali was quoted to have said while responding to questions from newsmen on Wednesday at the State House.

“The fact of the matter is that there are processes for money coming into the federation account and for the money being used," the lawmaker said.

Continuing, Shawulu said: "And the point we must note too is that a lot of times, pronouncements are policy statements and the policy statements are not just executed, it’s not as if, when the announcement was made, the federation account was debited. No, it doesn’t happen that way.

“When the President says he’s going to spend money, there’s a process that is followed before the money is spent. So, I want you to understand that, it’s not as if money has gone out.

“However, if money has gone out without parliamentary approval, that’s is a problem, it’s a very serious problem if money went out without parliamentary approval.”

No kobo can be spent without the approval of NASS - Senate

The Nigerian Senate in the same vein taken a swipe at President Buhari, saying he lacks the powers to give approval for the $1billion arms procurement without approval from the legislature.

Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Ben Murray-Bruce, had said: “It has not been approved, it is simply the choice of words. The Presidency or the executive cannot spend a single kobo on such a mission unless the National Assembly approves that.

“It is only when the Senate or National Assembly approves that the executive can go ahead to spend such money. The executive can only recommend and not to approve.”

$1billion arms procurement fund isn't to fight Boko Haram alone - Presidency

President Buhari's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, disclosed that the president's recent approval of the release of $1 billion for the purchase of military equipment is not just to fight Boko Haram.

After presiding over a meeting with the National Security Council at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali revealed that the president approved the release of the fund which was withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account by the Federal Government.

"I can inform you that of recent, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, gave approval for the purchase of more equipment for the military, worth $1 billion," Dan-Ali said.

Meanwhile Adesina said the fund is not just to intensify the military's fight against Boko Haram but to fight other forms of insecurity in the country.

Nigeria's Buhari will have to contend with lawmakers over $1bn arms fund

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