Former National Security Adviser
Sambo Dasuki has denied allegations that he awarded fictitious arms procurement
contract to the tune of N300 billion while he was in office. In a statement he
released this evening, Dasuki said he was not the NSA when the fictitious
contracts were said to have been awarded. Here is statement:
"In a theatrical manner, the
Presidency fed the public with many allegations against my person and
yet-to-be-named former public officers.
To draw sympathy, the presidency quoted some absurd findings including extra-budgetary interventions; award of fictitious contracts; 53 failed contracts; payment for jobs without contractual agreements; non-execution of contracts for the purchase of 4 Alpha jets, bombs and ammunition.
The statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who should know better as a former President of
the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a witness to history, was nothing sort of
propaganda to cast aspersions on Dasuki.
To set the records straight, Nigerians should appreciate
that the AVM Jon Ode-led panel did not invite the ex-NSA under any guise before
arriving at its ambiguous findings.
At least, fairness demands that the panel ought to hear from
Dasuki instead of its recourse to hasty conclusions. If the panel had been more
patient and painstaking, it would have been availed of all relevant documents
on some of the jaundiced findings.
“As if acting a script, the Presidency alleged that the
Panel accused Dasuki of awarding fictitious contracts between March 2012 and
March 2015. Contrary to this claim, Dasuki was not the NSA in March 2012 and he
could not have awarded any contract in whatever name. The ex-NSA was appointed
by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on June 22, 2012.
All contracts and accruing payments were with the approval
of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces. Once the
ex-President approved, the former NSA paid. So, there was due process for every
purchase in line with regulations guiding arms procurement for the Armed
Forces. “And Nigerians should note that all the services generated the types of
equipment needed, sourced for suppliers most times and after consideration by
the Office of the NSA, the President will approve application for payment.
For sensitive sectors (military/security), there was no room
for awarding fictitious contracts. The conclusions of the panel were
presumptive, baseless and lacked diligence. “There were no fictitious
contracts; contract sums were not diverted and the relevant services in writing
acknowledged delivery of equipment.
For all procurements, the Nigerian Army, the Air Force and
the Nigerian Navy have their contractors. “While awaiting judicial process on
these allegations, it is proper to make some references to show that the
presidency was just desperate to hang some former public and military officers
who served this nation at the risk of their lives.
“It is laughable for the panel to assume that 4 Alpha jets
and 12 helicopters were undelivered. In a memo to the Office of the National
Security Adviser(ONSA), referenced NAF/905/D/CAS of November 28, 2014, the
immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Adesola Amosu acknowledged
the receipt of the 4x Alpha jets attack aircraft and the helicopters.
On 10/21/14, the Chief of Air Staff also confirmed the
receipt of F-7 N1 aircraft combination of 250kg bombs and accessories at
$2,894,000 with the cost of freight at $1,200,000.
The same Air Force confirmed getting 2xTri Shield 36DG
Tactical radars “In another letter of December 1, 2014 signed by L.S. Alao (on
behalf of the Chief of Air Staff), the Air Force said it received five
containerized fuel storage and dispensing units with equipment.
The Nigerian Army wrote the ONSA to acknowledge the delivery
of 14 armoured tanks. In a December 13, 2014 memo, the Brigade of Guards
thanked ONSA for releasing N30m for RCA, Operation allowance for Troops on Op
Urban Sweep II for third and fourth quarters of 2014. This is apart from the
installation of CCT Cameras at the Brigade Headquarters, 2 backscatter bomb
detection vans and other equipment.
On November 26, 2014, the immediate past Chief of Defence
Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh sought for approval of the award of one
pair of uniform (in the interim) for the Armed Forces at N165, 375 to El-Jahab
Mubarak Nigeria and N330, 750,000 for two pairs. These are some of the
acknowledgment letters submitted to me by the end-users (the services).
It is not for me to go and find out whether the equipment
were delivered or not. I am not the one keeping the inventories. “To show that
I have nothing to hide, I submitted a comprehensive list of all requests for
procurements by the services, the items bought and those equipment being
awaited to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari long before I left
office. If there were issues, I should have been questioned. I was just the
clearing house, I did not award contracts to my company or proxies.
There was no contract awarded or equipment bought without
approval from the then President and Commander-In-Chief. I am not a thief or
treasury looter as being portrayed. “In order not to endanger the nation’s
security, there are many salient issues and contracts which I cannot put in
public domain.
I am ready for trial on all these allegations in order to
prove to Nigerians that I did nothing untoward in office.
We will certainly meet in court. I have a lot to tell
Nigerians but in the interim, they should not believe some of the allegations
as the gospel truths. The good thing is that some of the key actors in the
present administration were parts of the past process being viciously
challenged.
As for my tenure as the nation’s NSA, I acted in the
interest of the nation and with utmost fear of God. I did not use the office
for any self-serving agenda. I occupied the Office of the National Security
Adviser at a difficult moment in Nigerian history when terrorism was at its
peak and I am leaving posterity to judge me accordingly. “the statement read
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