Senate declines budget presentation by Defence Ministry over Magashi’s refusal to honour summon on war ship, NNS Aradu

Adekunle Adesuji

The Senate on Tuesday declined to give consideration to the 2023 budget for the Ministry of Defence, over the failure of the Minister, Bashiru Magashi to honour invitations extended to him by the Senate Adhoc Committee on the resuscitation of Nigerian Navy ship {NNS ARADU}, which is the largest on the fleet of the Navy.

The Adhoc Committee was set up in February , 2022 and Eleven months after the Panel unable to look into the matter because of  refusal of the Minister to appear before Committee.

But, at the budget defence of the Ministry before Senate Committee on Defense, the lawmakers reached the decision after an interjection by former Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North), drawing the attention of other members of the Committee to an earlier action of the senate summoning the Minister of Defence to come before its Adhoc Committee to give explanations concerning the Naval ship.

According to Abdullahi, a motion was raised on the floor of the senate chamber in February on the need to resuscitate the NNA  Aradu, which is Nigeria’s flagship and most powerful in the fleet of Nigerian navy.

He reminded the lawmakers that Senate subsequently set up an Adhoc Committee chaired by him to interface with the Minister of Defence with a view to finding ways to resuscitate the grounded NNS Aradu.

Senator Abdullahi said the Minister has refused to honor all 3 invitations forwarded to him by his Adhoc Committee in the last three months.

The powerful naval ship is owned by only three countries of world, Germany, Argentina and Nigeria.

Abdullahi said the ship is designed to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity, pointing out that   while other countries have maintained their flagship that represents the strength of the navy , that of Nigeria remained grounded.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Aliyu Wamakka who also spoke extensively on the need to urgently resuscitate the Navy ship, subsequently asked the Minister of Defence to go with the budget and return only after has cleared himself with the Senate Adhoc Committee.

According to him, we directed the Minister to go and clear himself before the Adhoc Committee before the budget will be considered.