Former Chief of Army Staff, Gen Tukur Buratai (retd), has reacted to the comment of Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd) that billions of naira approved for arms purchase under the ex-service chiefs cannot be accounted for.
National Security Adviser (NSA) to President, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd)
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Monguno had said the new service chiefs have confirmed that the arms were not purchased.
The former service chiefs are Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (Chief of Defence Staff-CDS); Tukur Buratai (Chief of Army Staff-COAS)); Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Chief of Naval Staff-CNS); Sadique Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff-CAS).
Soon after their exit from the military, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed them as ambassadors.
The new service chiefs are General Lucky Irabor (CDS); Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru (COAS); Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (CNS); and Air Marshal Ishiaka Oladayo Amao (CAS).
Although the office of the NSA later issued a statement saying Monguno did not say monies were missing, the transcript of his interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Friday revealed that he did.
Gen Monguno had said, “It is not that we are not working to end the security challenge in the country. The president has done his own part and allocated huge amounts of money to purchase weapons, but they are yet to be here. We don’t know where they are.
“I am not saying that the past service chiefs have diverted the money, but presently we don’t know where the money is.”
In a statement issued on behalf of Buratai, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, his lawyer, said funds meant for arms did not get missing under the former army chief.
“My attention has been drawn to an interview granted BBC by National Security Adviser (NSA), RTD Major General Babagana Monguno, wherein he was alleged to have accused former service chiefs of filtering ARMS Fund away.”
“I can confirm that Lt. General Buratai and other ex-service chiefs were never mentioned in the interview and neither was any arms fund missing under the stewardship of Lt. Gen T.Y. Buratai.
“Interestingly, NSA Babagana Monguno has denied making such accusations. We, therefore, urge members of the public to discountenance any such misquoted narrative suggesting sleaze on the integrity of Rtd Lt Gen T.Y. Buratai.
“Anyone interested in knowing how arms were procured by the ex-service chiefs and particularly Lt Gen T.Y. Buratai should channel such request for information to the Ministry of Defence,” the statement read. – Source: Daily Trust.
Background:
The National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) had accused the immediate past military service chiefs of squandering funds allocated for the purchase of arms to fight terrorists and bandits.
President Muhammadu Buhari, in January, removed the Service Chiefs which included the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
They were replaced by General Leo Irabor as the new Chief of Defence Staff; Lt General Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Read Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Marshal Isiaka O. Amao, Chief of Air Staff.
Speaking in a BBC Hausa service program on the issue of banditry and insecurity in the country, which was monitored by PRNigeria, Monguno said even the new Service Chiefs have confirmed that they could not find anything on the ground with regards to the arms purchased for the war against insecurity.
In the audio translated from Hausa to English by PRNigeria, Monguno defended President Buhari for providing enough resources for tackling insecurity in the country but that some of the setbacks could be blamed on the immediate service chiefs.
“It is not reluctance in handling the bandits, the President of the Federal Republic has done his utmost best by releasing huge funds for procurement of arms but they were not purchased. We couldn’t see anything on ground. Now the President has brought in new hands who may have a different approach. I am not saying the former Service Chiefs embezzled the arms money, but it is a fact that money budgeted for that purpose has been misappropriated and no one can account for it,” said Monguno.
When asked if the misappropriation has been investigated, the NSA replied thus: “The President will surely investigate it. As I am talking to you, even the governors in their (Governors’) Forum have started complaining that billions of dollars have been allocated for security yet nothing on the ground. I can assure you that the President will not take this lightly.”
Probed further to confirm if the arms money was embezzled by the former service chiefs, Monguno said: “I can’t say for now since it is subject to investigations which will reveal the facts of the matter, but it is certain that the money has been misappropriated and they cannot be accounted for and the new service chiefs have confirmed that they haven’t seen anything on ground to justify the allocated funds. Nothing is on the ground as I am speaking to you now.”
NSA Monguno added that the president is providing all the necessary supports and encouragements for the new service chiefs to ensure they succeed in tackling the myriads of insecurity in the country. – Source: PRNigeria
