Release full capital allocation to intelligence Outfit, Reps tell FG
The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence on Monday urged the Federal Government to ensure that the total capital allocation, as contained in both the 2024 budget and the 2025 budget estimates, is released to the security agencies.
According to the committee, this will enable the nation’s security agencies to deliver on their constitutional mandate efficiently.
Speaking during Monday’s 2025 budget defence by agencies under the purview of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Chairman, House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satomi, said it is regrettable that capital allocation to some of the intelligence agencies in 2024 has not been released, while releases to others fell below expectations.
The Borno lawmaker stated that though allocation to the security sector has improved over the years; the intelligence sub-sector, he noted, has always been underfunded, making it difficult to attain peak service delivery.
Present at the defence session were representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser, Directorate of State Services, National Intelligence Agency and the Presidential Air Fleets.
Others were the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, National Institute for Security Studies, National Counter Terrorism Centre and the National Cybercrimes Coordination Centre.
Satomi called on the various agencies to work together to ensure the safety of Nigerians and their properties, assuring that the committee will carry out its oversight duty in the interest of Nigerians.
Lauding President Bola Tinubu for allocating N4. 91tn to Defence and Security; the All Progressives Congress lawmaker highlighted the significance of prioritising the intelligence sub-sector in terms of capital allocation in the 2025 fiscal year.
He noted that the intelligence sub-unit was allocated N595bn, with a proposed capital expenditure allocation of N274.55bn, overhead allocation of N107.96bn and personnel allocation of N212.51bn.
