Peter Ameh, the National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, has urged the Federal Government to increase its funding of the Nigerian Armed Forces to enhance national security.
Ameh made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Kaduna.
He said that the need for increased funding of the armed forces had become imperative to improve the operational capabilities of the forces as they face the challenge of terrorism and other threats to national security.
He said that the Nigerian armed forces had done much to uphold and secure the nation as an indivisible entity, adding that the officers and men should be properly taken care of and equipped to perform better.
He said: “I can say this from a vantage point of view: let us recruit more personnel because for 150 million people, we need one million soldiers to maintain proper security.
“For a man who is willing to give his life for his country, there is no greater sacrifice higher than that.
“So, the soldiers have to be comfortable.”
Ameh said Nigeria needed to cater properly for the needs of her armed forces, including the provision of modern weapons and equipment.
He also urged Nigerians to identify individuals who would be willing to serve the nation without ethnic or religious biases, adding that leadership must be based on competence, credibility and ability to deliver.
He said: “We should make the right choice and avoid choosing money bags.
“Government cannot do it alone.
“It is the people who should make the right choices.”
Ameh, therefore, advised Nigerian youths to accept leadership roles for the next generation.
He said: “Youths should wake up and be involved.
“They should be engaged in the process of elections and governance.”
Ameh also called on the political class to follow the electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, as well as the rules and regulations of political parties.
“If we maintain the guidelines, it will provide a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections in 2015,” Ameh said.
