In a contentious Senate session on Wednesday, lawmakers rejected a prayer aimed at preventing the diversion of funds meant for security equipment purchases to finance university construction and yacht acquisitions.
According to PUNCH reports, the debate arose during discussions on a motion regarding "Suicide Attacks In Gwoza, Borno State: The Urgency To Stem The Tide Of This Ugly Menace," introduced by Senator Ali Ndume.
Ndume brought attention to the recent deadly attacks in his community, urging security agencies to leverage modern technology in the fight against insurgency.
He requested the Senate to observe a moment of silence for the victims and call on the government to provide relief aid and deploy advanced technological solutions to secure volatile regions.
In his remarks, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) criticized the previous practice of diverting military funds to build "glorified universities" unrelated to security priorities.
He stressed the need for the Senate's oversight to ensure that appropriated funds are used strictly for procuring modern equipment and technology, rather than non-essential expenditures.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio cautioned against making unsubstantiated allegations.
Oshiomhole stood firm, arguing that a significant portion of supplementary military budgets had been misspent on public universities and even yachts, instead of critical capabilities.
The additional prayer proposed by Oshiomhole was put to a voice vote, which was overwhelmingly rejected by the lawmakers. Despite the opposition, Ndume's original three prayers were accepted by the Senate.