Abuja — National Security Adviser, NSA, Maj. Gen. Babagana Mongonu, retd, has appealed to the House of Representatives to evolve practicable solutions to the attendant economic crisis arising from the scarcity of the redesigned naira notes, saying soldiers on the frontline in the fight against insurgency, banditry and other violent crimes were facing financial difficulties.
Monguno, who appeared before the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on the fiscal policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said his office was also working on measures to assist the House in tackling the problem.
Recall that the committee, in continuation of its meeting, had invited the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, the Managing Director, Nigerian Security, Minting and Printing Company, Ahmed Halilu and the Chairman, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the Director of Currency Operations in the CBN to appear before it yesterday, but the invitees took excuses for their absence.
Represented by Rear Admiral Abubakar A. Mustapha, a director in charge of the secretariat that conducts general security appraisal of the committee, with a special focus on elections and other security exigencies in his office, the NSA said the policy was affecting military operations in some areas, stressing that some soldiers on the battle fronts were having financial difficulties.
Speaking shortly before the press was excused for a closed-door session, Monguno said: "I am the Director in the office of the NSA. My mandate in the office actually is defence affairs.
"We actually chair the secretariat that conducts general security appraisal committee which specifically focuses on elections and other security situations that might come up from time to time. I want to also apologize on behalf of my boss who is unavoidably absent.
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"He left the country yesterday on a very special meeting and because he holds this committee in very high esteem, he called and directed that I represent him. So, there is no written mandate. It was a verbal instruction that was given to me to attend this committee because he said somebody must attend. He understands the severity of the situation in the country and that is why he said someone must attend.
"Because of the sensitivity of some of the information that will come bothering on security, there are things you cannot say in the media. But that being said, globally, military operations, even in first-world countries, such policies if not well thought out will affect certain things because some of our soldiers are deployed in places where they cannot actually access digital means of paying whatever daily subsistence."
"One of the main issues the NSA has been talking about is that this committee sits down and articulates better ways of addressing these issues and he has directed the committee in his office which I am part of to write out his position to assist the committee to meet its mandate. On a more detailed level, I will be able to talk to the committee when the press leave".
