For deliberately refusing to buy arms and ammunitions from the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), the House of Representatives Committee on Defence has summoned all heads of security agencies in the country
This came after the adoption of a motion moved by Taofeek Ajilesoro (PDP-Osun) when Hassan Tafida,
the director general of DICON appeared before the committee to defend the 2022 budget performance and 2023 budget proposals.
Tafida said other security agencies were not patronising DICON for purchase of arms and ammunitions from the corporation, adding that they rather preferred to obtained them outside.
He attributed the situation to the absence of a law compelling the agencies from buying arms and ammunitions from DICON.
“It is that perception that we cannot provide all the things they need, so they go outside and the law did not restrict them from going outside. So these are some of the things that needs to be corrected.
“This is why DICON must wake up from the status it was to a new status. We are making effort to ensure that the military industrial complex is a reality in Nigeria,” he said.
The Nigerian Army Major General said other private sectors were already coming in and building factories, producing the Armoured Personnel Carriers and also going into production of weapons and ammunitions.
Tafida said all that was needed to be put in place was Nigeria’s own home grown technology, adding if you wait to transfer technology from anywhere you will not get it so we have to start producing ours.”
Babajimi Benson, chairman of the committee said, there was need to first source arms and ammunitions locally before going outside.
Benson said the lawmakers would give a legal backing compelling all security agencies to buy arms and ammunitions from DICON.
He said: “We can give it more legal teeth to ensure that it’s a law, I believe the way it should go is to ensure that we produce more arms locally as much as possible and also look at the possibility of enforcing it.
“Because we do not see why it is only the Army that is patronising DICON, the Air force and Navy should also as a matter of urgency patronise DICON.
“And by this, we will save foreign exchange, we will improve our local technology and our youths will have some forms of jobs.”
