A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Competent Governance For Accountability And Civic Trust (CGFAACT), Tuesday appealed to the federal government to increase defence budget to 35%.
The organisation said security is the primary and major scope of any government and without security nothing will thrive as every other sector are anchored on security.
The executive director of the organisation, Ambassador Godwin Oghenero Erheriene, made the call at a press conference in Abuja.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is saddled with the responsibility of securing lives and properties in Nigeria to ensure that defence budget is increased from 12% to 35%.
He argued that: “No country in this world budget 12 percent to defence. It is too low considering the responsibilities and importance of the sector. We, the civil society organisation are calling on the FG to increase the budget of defence to 35 percent for more productivity.
“Recently, the Minister of FCT, Neyosom Wike, blamed the incessant occurrences of kidnapping and abductions in Abuja on inadequate equipment.
“If FCT that is hosting the seat of power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria lack the requisite prerequisite to track criminals and terrorists, what will then be the fate of states? It shows that states will continue to be at the mercy of bandits, kidnappers and terrorists.
“It is on the hills of the above that we are calling on the federal government to increase the budget of defence to 35 percent for more efficiency.
“As the security sector is the most vital organ and most powerful organ of any government anywhere in the world, it is the most expensive sector too.”
