The COAS’ representative also said, “We are at your service, we are here to serve you as a people, to serve all Nigerians. And we cannot pretend that we do not know there is a crisis all over the country.
“The Chief of Army Staff cannot be at every location at every time. He is on the way trying to get to know his men. He took over barely a week ago. He is going around trying to get first-hand information as to the capability of the fighting force he is leading.”
One of the lawmakers, Aliyu Al-Mustapha alleged that criminals had been caught with arms and ammunition said to have been procured by the Armed Forces.
He said, “You can bear witness to the fact that Nigeria is embroiled in serious security issues and year in year out, appropriations were made and huge sums expended on procurement of arms and ammunition.
The House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee set up to audit arms and ammunition procured by the Armed Forces has criticised the new Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, for failing to appear before it in person.
The House Ad Hoc Committee on the Need to Review the Purchase, Use and Control of Arms, Ammunition and Related Hardware by Military, Paramilitary and Other Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria held its first investigative hearing in Abuja on Friday, where the COAS was represented by the Commandant, Army War College Nigeria, Maj.-Gen. Charles Ofoche.
Ofoche, while pleading with the committee for Attahiru’s absence, noted that COAS and other service chiefs were in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and Enugu earlier on Thursday.
He said, “The country is embroiled in a lot of crisis, so they are moving around. And he thought he could make it down here this morning for this meeting, so the notice was quite short for me to come and represent him because he would have loved to do it personally and that is why there is no written note.”
The COAS’ representative also said, “We are at your service, we are here to serve you as a people, to serve all Nigerians. And we cannot pretend that we do not know there is a crisis all over the country.
“The Chief of Army Staff cannot be at every location at every time. He is on the way trying to get to know his men. He took over barely a week ago. He is going around trying to get first-hand information as to the capability of the fighting force he is leading.”
One of the lawmakers, Aliyu Al-Mustapha alleged that criminals had been caught with arms and ammunition said to have been procured by the Armed Forces.
He said, “You can bear witness to the fact that Nigeria is embroiled in serious security issues and year in year out, appropriations were made and huge sums expended on procurement of arms and ammunition.
