MINISTER Bashir Magashi’s refusal to accept invitations from the Senate Committee on Defence has lead to the committees resolve yesterday, to postpone discussion on the 2023 defence ministry budget proposal.
The committee took the decision after Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi), drew the attention of his colleagues to an earlier resolution of the Senate inviting the minister to appear before its ad-hoc committee over the Nigerian Naval Ship (NNS Aradu) which had been grounded for several years.
Abdullahi said a motion was raised on the floor of the Senate in February on the need to resuscitate the NNS Aradu, Nigeria’s flagship and most powerful in the fleet of the Nigerian Navy.
He recalled that the Senate had earlier established an ad hoc committee under his leadership to work with Magashi to identify solutions to revive the NNS Aradu that had been grounded.
According to Abdullahi, the ship was built to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
He added that whereas other nations have kept their flagship, Nigeria’s remained grounded.
Aliyu Wamakka, the head of the Senate Committee on Defence, announced that the committee would hold off on considering the budget request until Magashi had received approval from the ad hoc committee.
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