ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, has urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure prompt releases of funds for intelligence agencies in the country.
The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Ahmed Satomi (APC-Borno), made the call in Abuja on Monday, at the 2025 budget defence session with intelligence agencies.
Satomi decried the poor budgetary releases for intelligence agencies saying that some got zero release in 2024.
According to him, going by the submissions before the committee, it is heartbreaking that an agency like the National Centre for Counter Terrorism has not gotten any capital release for year 2023 and 2024.
”The National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSSALW) are yet to receive a single kobo for their capital projects in 2024.
”The capital releases to the DSS and NIA are insufficient to motivate these agencies to work optimally in order to deliver on their critical mandates.
”I am therefore calling on President Bola Tinubu, to please intervene for an increase in the allocations to the agencies in the intelligence sector.
”Direct the Minister of Finance to as a matter of national security, prioritise the full release of all outstanding 2024 budget allocations to the intelligence agencies and sustain the practice of prompt releases to them going forward.”
The committee chairman also advocated more funding for the security and intelligence agencies in the country to ensure the safety of all Nigerians.
He said that the 2025 National budget of N49.74 trillion for total expenditure, with expected revenue of N36.35 trillion, had a deficit of N13.39 trillion.
He noted that the defence and security sector was allocated N4.91 trillion, adding that it underscored the priority status accorded to security in the 2025 Budget.
Satomi added that the intelligence sub-sector appeared to be grossly underfunded going by the total allocation of N595, 024,943,368 billion to the subsector.
He explained that of the total allocation, capital expenditure allocation was N274,550,298,453.00, while Overhead allocation stood at N107,963,187,783 and allocation for personnel expenditure for the entire intelligence sector was N212,511,457,132 billion
”It is imperative to note that the 2025 Budget is christened the “Budget of Restoration: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity.”
”Securing peace presupposes that a lot of engagements with citizens will be undertaken by the government at all levels.
”Deradicalisation, disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes will have to be carried out as a major non kinetic initiative by the Federal government of Nigeria in collaboration with other tiers of government,” he said.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Special Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mr Mohammed Danjuma said that the budget seeks to address evolving security challenges facing the nation.
Danjuma said that it also seeks to ensure the effective coordination of security agencies, seamless intelligence gathering and information sharing.
He added that if fully implemented, it would enhance coordination and collaboration, by strengthening partnerships within security agencies, to foster a more cohesive and responsive security architecture.
According to him, it will enhance infrastructural development, by improving existing operational facilities and equipment to support efficient service delivery and ensure capacity building and manpower development to address emerging security challenges.
“It is worthy to note that the envelop system of budgeting provide a lot of constrain in terms of resources allocation to the community.
”However, despite this challenge the agencies try to strike a balance between their operational needs and the government’s fiscal constraints.
Danjuma pledged the commitment of the intelligence community to transparency, accountability and effective resource management.(NAN)