Tuesday, June 3, 2014

We’ve spent over N10bn to fight Boko Haram —Borno govt

“ASIDE the acquisition of ammunition, which the law prevents us from doing, there is practically no other support we have not given the military in the fight against Boko Haram.”

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Making the assertion during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, at the weekend, the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, said the state government had spent over N10 billion in supporting the military against Boko Haram.

Jidda, however, claimed that no state, including Borno, got a dime as security vote from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

“Every state makes its own budget it intends to spend from its own normal allocations. For us in Borno, we have spent over N10 billion in the last three years to support security agencies in the counter-insurgency,” he added.

In addition to various provisions, he said the government was also accessible to security agencies, saying that no security chief in the state spent 10 minutes before having access to Governor Kashim Shettima, no matter the time of the day.

The SSG, who noted that the state had only received N200 million from the Federation Government, listed the support given the military as including the donations of over 20 new ultra modern armoured personnel carriers to the Nigeria Police; 400 new Toyota Hilux patrol vehicles, each costing between N6 and N7 million, dedication of a petrol station to regular fuelling of the vehicles, rebuilding of destroyed schools, markets and hospitals, among numerous other support.
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