Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on
Wednesday sought approval from parliament to
borrow up to $1 billion abroad to help the
armed forces tackle the security threat posed
Jonathan, facing intense criticism at home and
overseas for his government's failure to curb a
spreading campaign of violence by the Islamist
militants, made the request in a letter read to
Nigeria's Senate and House of
Representatives.
His government is accused by critics of not
doing enough to protect civilians in Africa's
biggest economy and oil producer from Boko
Haram, which has killed thousands and
abducted hundreds since launching an uprising
in the northeast in 2009.
"You are no doubt cognisant of the on-going
and serious security challenges which the
nation is facing as typified by the Boko-Haram
terrorist threat," Jonathan said in the request,
read to deputies by the leaders of the Senate
and House.
"For this reason, I seek the concurrence of the
National Assembly for external borrowing of
not more than $1 billion," the president said,
adding this would be used to upgrade the
equipment, training and logistics of the
security forces.
Nigeria's parliament was expected to debate
the borrowing request at a time when
international attention on the Boko Haram
insurgency has increased since the abduction
by its militants in mid-April of more than 200
schoolgirls. They remain missing.
Jonathan's letter said the upgrade for the
security services could include a "government
to government arrangement" but did not name
any specific foreign country.
His request was expected to raise some
questions, as Nigeria's 2014 budget already
provides for nearly $6 billion in security
spending. The government has also faced
allegations by a former central bank governor,
Lamido Sanusi, that billions of dollars of oil
revenues failed to reach the national treasury.
Nigeria's military has started receiving
training, advice and intelligence support from
allies such as the United States, Britain,
France and Israel.
But it is still struggling to counter almost daily
raids, frequent kidnaps and targeted bomb
attacks by Boko Haram. The shadowy group,
whose name means "Western education is
sinful", says it wants to set up an Islamic state
in Nigeria, whose population is split between
Christians and Muslims.
Nigeria's military was once seen as a force for
stability across West Africa, but it has suffered
over the past two decades from a lack of
investment in training, falling morale and
failure to maintain equipment.
Authorities and military experts fear the
insurgency, which has claimed bomb attacks
in recent months in the capital Abuja and in
the coastal commercial hub Lagos, is seeking
to push its campaign into the more prosperous
south.
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