FORMER National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd, whose
arrest was ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday over
allegations of fictitious award of arms supply contracts, yesterday,
countered the Federal Government. He alleged a deliberate campaign to
rubbish him by the present administration.
President Buhari ordered Dasuki’s arrest after receiving an interim
report of the panel set up on August 31 to probe arms procurement
between 2007 and 2015, which allegedly indicted him and others.
Asserting that he is neither a thief nor treasury looter, Dasuki
alleged that a number of prominent actors of the present administration
were key participants in the purchase of arms, even as he stated his
readiness for trial to prove his innocence.
The response from Dasuki was his second in as many days and followed
the first rebuttal late Tuesday to the presidency’s statement ordering
his arrest.
Meanwhile, to enforce the presidential directive, operatives of the
Department of State Service, DSS, have stepped up their presence in the
residence of the embattled former National Security Adviser.
My story, by Dasuki
Dasuki in his statement denying the allegations against him said: “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 four (4) Alpha jets,
bombs and ammunition.
“For undiscerning Nigerians, they may tend to assume that the
allegations were true and pronounce the former National Security Adviser
guilty as charged.
“The statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity
(to the President), Mr. Femi Adesina, who should know better as a former
President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a witness to history,
was nothing short of propaganda to cast aspersions on Dasuki.
“To set the records straight, Nigerians should appreciate that the
AVM John 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.
Delivery of purchased aircraft, arms, ammunition
“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 October 21, 2014, 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 acknowledgement 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”.
DSS closes in on Dasuki, increases presence in his home
Meanwhile, a visit to the ex-NSA’s house on 13 John Khadiya Street in
the high scale Abuja neighbourhood last night, showed that the DSS had
reinforced its presence since Tuesday evening.
Vanguard correspondent found out that no
fewer than six DSS men had taken various positions around the
neighborhood. But only an operational truck of the service was left by
the side of the entrance to the massive compound while two service men
sat there discussing.
A few metres away, another service truck with armed operatives parked
by, observing movements in and around the area but they did not speak
to anyone.
Three other vehicles with unknown persons inside, were also parked nearby but the occupants merely discussed among themselves.
It was not clear if Dasuki was in the expansive compound, sandwiched
between the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge and the home of late ex-Bayelsa
governor, DSP Alamieyeseigha.
Dasuki’s neighbours have been subjected to the sustained presence of
the DSS officials in the past four weeks following the attempt by the
service to arrest and prevent him from traveling abroad for medical
attention.
The siege to his home has prevailed despite a subsisting court order
directing that he be allowed to travel outside the country to get
medical help.
The DSS claims that the matter for which he is being wanted has
nothing to do with the court order and that he must appear and answer to
allegations of mismanaging huge defence budget running into over N600
billion.
The panel, which probed the contracts said to have been awarded by
Dasuki, turned in its findings on Tuesday, indicting him and others yet
to be unveiled.
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