Politics

Atiku advocates increased military funding

Published

7 years ago

November 23, 2018

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in Abuja advocated increased funding of the military, lamenting the rising records of deaths of security operatives and citizens in Nigeria. The PDP presidential candidate expressed concerns over the rising deaths of security operatives who die in the course of service, including citizens who lost their lives to criminals of all kinds. Atiku appealed for collective efforts to support the military to end terrorism and other crimes in the country. “We must do everything at our disposal to stop further deaths amongst our servicemen and the civilian population,” Atiku declared.

Atiku in a statement on Thursday in Abuja advocated for increased funding of the military to properly equip them to combat crimes and ensure security of the country. The PDP presidential candidate declared: “With the rising spate of terror activities in the Middle Belt and the North East, I urgently call for increased funding for our military so that they are equipped and their morale boosted enough to contain and then defeat insecurity in Nigeria.

“It is unacceptable that terrorists and criminals are frequently better equipped than members of our armed forces. It is the duty of the political elite to put aside any political differences and take a united stand to put an end to this.

“The increasing deaths of our servicemen at the hand of terrorists and criminals, especially, in the Northeast and Middle Belt, are clear sign that our troops need to be better funded and better equipped. It is true that funds are scarce, but this is an emergency and if we do not take care of an emergency, it becomes a crisis which can lead to a total breakdown of law and order – anarchy in essence.

“I have been traveling all over Nigeria and I meet with both Muslim and Christian clerics who tell me that in the Northeast and Middle Belt, they now officiate over more funerals than they do marriages and child dedications. This is heartbreaking and we must do something immediately to change the situation.

“Apart from funding, I advise the Federal Government to review its policy of releasing so called ‘repentant’ terrorists. To think that the government can de radicalise these individuals in so short a time is wishful thinking. Many people, myself included, think that the upsurge in terror activities coming after the release of such detainees, is not coincidental.”

Atiku appealed to the National Assembly to suo moto, take action to appropriate funds for our military on a fast-track basis, noting: “these are desperate times for Nigeria and desperate times call for dedication to duty of all concerned.”

He decried: “I am tired of issuing condolences for unnecessary deaths. I prefer to make a difference and prevent unnecessary deaths amongst the gallant men and women of our armed forces and the civilian population they took an oath to protect.”