The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to investigate the Federal Government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, over the funding of the war against Boko Haram.
Members of the Green Chamber expressed their frustration over the failure of the military to rein in the insurgents.
They said military intelligence failed the country.
The lawmakers expressed sadness over the attack on a military formation in Metele, Borno State by the insurgents.
Deputy Minority Leader Onyema Chukwuka said that soldiers died in the attack.
The lawmakers urged the Army to publish the names of the fallen heroes after consultation with their families.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance by Chukwuka, who, relying on reports, said the insurgents carted away weapons from the Melete Army base.
He said: “While the news of the attack and death toll continued to increase, neither the President nor Commander-in-Chief, and the minister of Defence or the army authorities said anything about the report as there was silence for more than five days.
“The President and C-in-C finally broke his silence six days after the attack in a statement issued on his behalf but it is regrettable that in the last one year, no fewer than 600 soldiers have been killed by insurgents, mostly in Bomo State around the fringes of the Lake Chad.
“Recall that on June 18, a Boko Haram attack in Gajiram, Bomo State, led to the death of civilians and soldiers and on July 13, Boko Haram ambushed and killed soldiers at Alagaye village, near Bama, Borno State and carted away nine gun trucks.
“On July 14, Boko Haram attacked the 81 Division Forward Brigade at Jilli village in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State and killed scores of soldiers; on August 30, Boko Haram attacked an army formation at Zari village, also in Bomo State, killing not no fewer than 48 soldiers and many others are still missing aside equipment losses; and on September 8, the 82 Division Task Force in Gudumbali, Bomo State was attacked, many soldiers killed and equipment carted away.
“It is equally regrettable that while the executive said and continued to insist that Boko Haram terrorists had been “technically defeated”, or “technically degraded”, the insurgents seem to be waxing even stronger and stronger day-in-day-out, such that they recently attached a community just 20 kilometre from Maiduguri, the Bomo State capital.
“Twice in three years, the Commander-in-Chief gave directives to the service chiefs to permanently relocate to the Theatre Command Center in Maiduguri until Boko Haram is defeated.
“With the recent development in the North, all the successes and gains made against Boko Haram have been reversed, regrettably.”
Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia) suggested that Nigeria should enter into an air support agreement with her neighbours “so that when the need arises, the Nigerian Air Force can respond to crisis from the closest points within minutes, even from the neighboring countries.”
She also emphasised the need for a change in the orientation and curriculum of the military from one that aims to take over territories to the modern-day conventional and unconventional warfare.
Aminu Shagari (APC, Sokoto) said President Buhari, being a military General, was not expected to fail on security issues, not to talk of not being able to suppress a religious insurgency.
Recalling that former President Shehu Shagari quelled Maitatsine insurgents despite being a civilian, Shagari said: “I expect nothing less than total decimation of Boko Haram but here we are today with no serious efforts by the military to arrest the situation. Where has all the monies appropriated to fight this insurgency gone?”
Edward Pwajok (APC, Plateau) complained about lack of synergy within the military authorities and the failure of military intelligence characterised by lack of inter-agency information sharing.
He wondered why Buhari failed to sanction or remove the Service chiefs who, in his view, had obviously failed in their responsibility of protecting the people. He called for the investigation of funds disbursed to prosecute the terror war.
Zakari Mohammed (PDP, Kwara) said rather than cooperate and share information, the military preferred competing amongst themselves.
Accusing the House Standing Committees on Military of failing to comprehensively carry out their oversight function and ask necessary questions, Mohammed urged the President to be more proactive on the issue.
He also urged the government and the military in particular to invest more in technology to fight the modern unconventional insurgents.
Alleging that Boko Haram was taking over territories, Mohammed Sani Abdul (APC, Bauchi, said that the Nigerian Army could not evacuate its corpses from Melete because Boko Haram has taken over the camp.
To Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), who is also the Navy Committee Chairman, the number of the military personnel in the country is grossly inadequate.
They are less than 300,000, he claimed, adding that the recruitment into the military in the last three years left much to be desired.
He identified lack of technology as a big issue in the efficiency of the military
Aliu Magaji (APC, Jigawa) advised the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Yusuf Buratai to provide Nigerians with the real news rather than threatening those he targeted as fake news peddlers.
Beni Lar (PDP, Plateau) urged the President to sack the Service chiefs for what he called poor performance.
Mohammed Bago (APC, Niger) spoke in a similar vein.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara said queried the porosity of the Nigerian borders if Cameroon and Chad.
He wondered if the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), operating along the borders, had collapsed.