The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Mongunu (rtd.) has said that the economic crisis caused the scarcity of the redesigned Naira notes was affecting military operations in some areas.
He said some soldiers were having financial difficulties.
Mongunu urged the House of Representatives to find practicable solutions to the economic crisis caused by the scarcity of the redesigned Naira notes.
Mongunu, 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.
He was 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 situations exigencies in his office.
The committee, headed by the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, also invited the Minister of Finance, Dr Zainab Ahmed; the Managing Director, Nigerian Security, Minting and Printing Company, Ahmed Halilu; and the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mamoud Yakubu as well as the Director of Currency Operations in the CBN to appear before it on Thursday. But they took excuses for their absence.
Monguno said some soldiers are serving in areas where they do not have access to digital transactions.
He said some soldiers are affected by the CBN’s Naira redesign and cashless policy.
Ado-Doguwa had asked the NSA to brief the lawmakers on how the CBN policies are affecting the security apparatus.
“It is the belief of this committee that the policy would have in one way or the other certain implications to the security apparatus or security architecture of the country, especially when we are facing elections.
“In this guise, we will expect you to let the committee know what you guys are into, the level of your preparedness in terms of being proactive as to how this policy could not be able to affect some of your statutory mandates,” Doguwa said.
The NSA said the policy has affected soldiers who are deployed in areas where they do not have access to “digital means of paying for their daily subsistence.
“Globally, military operations, even in first world countries, such policies, if not properly well thought out will negative impact. Some of our soldiers are deployed in places where they cannot actually access digital means of paying for their daily subsistence.
“One of the main issues that NSA has been talking about—it is important that this committee sits down and articulates better ways of actually addressing these issues. He has directed a committee in his office to write out his position to assist the committee meet his mandate”, he said.
After the NSA’s remarks, the committee got into a closed-door session, as it said most of the information was sensitive.
