2018: Civil defence budgets N5bn for nuclear weapon equipment, others
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has proposed to spend N5 billion on the procurement of anti-terrorism, chemical, bio-radiation and nuclear weapon equipment and other new projects.
Breakdown of the budget reveals that N254.2m was proposed for the procurement of nuclear weapon equipment, as well as N196.6m for the purchase of two BMW 900 RT, 374 Sinoki motorcycles, 200 bikes and 30 rider kits.
Other purchases to be made include operation and communication equipment for N445.16m, anti-vandal equipment at N185.98m and disaster management equipment at N217.33m
Purchase of operational pick-up vans, forensic equipment and accessories, arms, ammunition and system management are set to gulp N358.42m, N27.46m and N200.96m respectively.
Other operational equipment proposed to be procured by the NSCDC for their operations include dogs’ handling equipment/maintenance for N104.56m, installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) with duty post for pipeline monitoring at N218.03m
Also, infrastructural projects to be executed as analysed shows that completion and upgrading of indoor shooting range with in-built armoury in Sauka, Abuja, will cost N15m, while purchase and installation of solar panels and accessories for the command and control theatres in Bayelsa, Abuja, comptroller general’s residence, states and zonal command headquarters will also cost N225m
Similarly, upgrading of NSCDC clinic at Sauka, training schools and zonal commands, as well as construction and completion of three out of eight barracks to will cost N150.11m and N433.39 respectively
Also, purchase of fixtures and fittings for 100 per cent completed office accomodation (258 rooms) at Sauka, Abuja, five donated state command offices, one area command and other proposed state command headquarters to gulp N547.4.
While construction of four out of 30 state command headquarters is proposed at N1.87b. Also, completion of additional classrooms at Sauka, Abuja, and in Ogun State is set to cost N93.86m as development and upgrading of ICT infrastructures is budgeted to be N305.82.
In the same vein, upgrading of ID card production machines and accessories with microchip features and research and development are set for N131.52m and N85m respectively
Also, construction of automated mechanical workshop and project monitoring and evaluation (budget/project monitoring) are proposed at N225m and N167m respectively.
While responding, Deputy Commandant of NSCDC, Emmanuel Okeh, said he was unaware of the procurement of the nuclear weapon in the budget, but explained that the NSCDC had a chemical and nuclear unit.
Okeh added that the procurement might not be unconnected to the training of the personnel in the unit in their various training locations in some states of the country.