Delta Assembly Approves Buhari’s $1Bn Request for Military Equipment

By Miracle Enuji

The Delta State House of Assembly, Tuesday, at its sitting approved $1Billion request by President Muhammadu Buhari billed for the procurement of Military Equipment to strengthen the nations Armed Forces in the on-going fight against insurgency and its related.

Buhari’s request which was conveyed to the State Houses of Assembly across the country for approval, was laid before the Delta State House of Assembly by Governor Okowa through a letter dated 11th June, 2018 and addressed to the Speaker.

The letter titled, $1Billion Deduction From Excess Crude Account (ECA), which was read at the floor of the House, went through a debate session by the lawmakers and thereafter unanimously approved for onward authorization.

The deduction request by the Presidency through the Office of the Delta State Governor to the State House of Assembly as obtained by Asaba Metro, read in parts stated that, “As the Speaker and Members of this Honourable House are well aware, the Federal Government plans to deduct the sum of $1billion from the Excess Crude Account for the procurement of military equipment to support the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its operations in fighting insurgency and other security challenges in the country.

“The Honourable House is also aware that procedurally, in addition to the approval of the National Assembly, the concurrent approval of the Houses of Assembly in the thirty-six (36) States of the Federation is expected to be sought and obtained to facilitate the deduction from the Excess Crude Account. It would also be useful for the resolution to capture that the 13% derivation component accruable to Delta State as its share of the $1billion be remitted to the State.

“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to request the Honourable House to, by way of resolution, approve and authorize the Federal Government of Nigeria to deduct Delta State share of the sum of $1billion from the Excess Crude Account for the procurement of military equipment to support the Armed Forces in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its operations in fighting insurgency and other security challenges in the country, subject to the deduction and payment of 13% derivation component due to Delta State from the said sum of $1billion.”

Delta Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori at the approval of the request by the House, announced that, “The Delta State House of Assembly at its sitting on this 10th day of July 2018, after extensive deliberation on the $1billion deduction from the Excess Crude Account (ECA), unanimously resolved to authorize the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to deduct from the Delta State’s statutory share of the said sum of $1Billion from from the Excess Crude Account for the procurement of military equipment to support the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its operations in fighting insurgency and other security challenges in the country, subject to the deduction and payment of 13% derivation component due to Delta State from the said sum of $1billion.”