Following controversies that have greeted the recent presidential approval of $1bn for the procurement of military equipment to assist in the fight against insurgency, the Presidency has issued a statement to clarify emerging contentious issues.
Recall that the Minister of Defense had on Wednesday after a closed-door meeting involving the President and security chiefs disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of $1bn Dollars for the procurement of weapons to fight insurgency.
The disclosure had elicited reactions from the opposition party and the National Assembly with the later insisting that such funds must first be approved by the legislature.
Reacting to the developments, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina said that proper procedures for the release of the fund were being followed. He explained that contrary to apprehension, the president will soon communicate to the National Assembly through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters about the matter.
“As we speak now the communication to the National Assembly is about ready. Those who have been flexing muscles over the matter should just have bothered to make inquiries from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters.
“If they had inquired they would have been told that the communication would soon be on the way to the National Assembly.
“Talking about the timing, there is no timing that is not good for security. Every time is security time. Those who are reading political meaning into it is just unfortunate they play politics with everything and they will play politics with the very lives of Nigerians, which is very bad.’’
