NewsFG To Build N2.4bn Rehab Centres For Repentant Terrorists

FG To Build N2.4bn Rehab Centres For Repentant Terrorists

December 20, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has proposed a plan to build two Disarmament, Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centres for repentant members of terrorist groups.

Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Rear Admiral Yem Musa (retd.), explained to the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, that the plan is part of the capital projects of the Centre for 2023.

Out of a capital expenditure of N3, 839,160,000 proposed for next year, N2, 400,000,000 will be spent on the centres, he said.

The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.), had on November 17, 2022, led heads of the intelligence community before the committee to defend their respective 2023 budget proposals.

Musa lamented that the NCTC, which is less than one year old, has been battling with a shortage of funds to achieve the purposes for which it was established.

The NCTC presentation to the Committee partly reads: “Since its establishment, efforts have been made towards the setting up and operationalisation of the centre. These efforts have not been easy due to lack of funding for the centre since its inception early this year, as provision was not made for funding in this year’s budget.

“That is why this maiden budget is key to the effective take-off and operationalisation of the centre to achieve its core mandate.”

Musa told the committee that the projected personnel cost for 2023 was N1,864,889,169, but the Budget Office of the Federation reviewed it downward to N997,152,292.25, which he said, “is insufficient for the Centre considering its proposed staff strength.”

He pleaded with the committee to consider and approve the initial sum forwarded by the centre.

While the NCTC proposed allocation of N3, 839,160,000 to its capital projects, the sum was reviewed down to N428, 860,000.

Musa prayed the committee to “facilitate the appropriation of (a) the sum of N1,864,889,169.00 only as personnel cost for the Year 2023; (b) the sum of N5,860,610,050.00 only as overhead cost for the Year 2023; (c) the sum of N3,839,160,000.00 only for the Year 2023 capital expenditure.”

Meanwhile, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), which is domiciled under the Office of the NSA, is demanding allocation of over N5bn for its capital projects in 2023, which includes tracking and interception of arms across Nigeria borders.

National Coordinator of the NCCSALW, Major General Mohammed Dikko (retd.), in his presentation to the committee, noted that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), established the Centre on May 3, 2021, in line with Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

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