Why we can’t probe ex-service chiefs — ARMY

The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, said yesterday that the Army cannot probe ex-service chiefs involved in procurement of weapons for the fight against Boko Haram because they had retired. Buratai, who disclosed this while defending Army’s budget proposal before the House of Representatives Committee on Army, also lamented that the N160 billion budget approved for the Army by the Ministry of Budget and Planning was grossly inadequate to prosecute the war against insurgency in the North East. His declaration came as the Army yesterday said it would not reabsorb the 250 soldiers dismissed last week for failing to join their colleagues posted to the North East, gross acts of indiscipline, cowardice and absence without leave. According to him, all the service chiefs and other senior officers involved in the procurement have so far retired, hence the Army is limited on the extent it could go to investigate the procurement. On Army budget, Buratai said the force had proposed N526 billion for 2016 fiscal year but lamented that only N160 billion was approved. He pleaded with the committee to assist the force by ensuring that what it had earlier proposed was given so that the Army could carry out all its required assignments, including rehabilitation of barracks and welfare of officers and men of the force. He said: “The ministry went below what we actually need minimally. This honourable House should assist to ensure that what we proposed is given to us. “The significant drop is not from us but the Budget Office, but we will appreciate your efforts to make it up so that we can function well. “If we can get N526 billion today, Nigerian army will not be the same again. We will make sure that our barracks are rehabilitated and troops and their families taken care of.”
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