The Senate Tuesday refused to consider the 2023 budget of the Ministry of Defence, over failure of the Minister, Bashiru Magashi, to honour invitations of its Ad-hoc committee on resuscitation of Nigerian Navy ship {NNS ARADU}, which is the largest on the fleet of the Navy.
Upper legislative chamber’s committee on Defence took the decision after submission made to that by former Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP Kebbi North).
Drawing 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, Senator Abdullahi said a motion was raised on the floor of the senate chamber in February on the need to resuscitate the NNS 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 ad-hoc 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 ad-hoc 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 was 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 Defence, Aliyu Wamakko, 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 he has cleared himself with the Senate ad-hoc committee.