The mind-boggling revelations from the investigations into how $2.1bn meant for the procurement of arms to combat Boko Haram was squandered, portrays an atrocious system rotten with corruption and impunity with high disdain for accountability and due process. The failed contracts, phantom deals and fictitious amounts of money transferred for unascertained purposes without contract documents, is one more indication of the corrosive abuse of office, greed, insensitivity and depravity prevalent among public officials. President Buhari has reportedly ordered the arrest of all indicted persons. Nigerians expect no less; they desire a total unravelling of not just the arms deal in question, but all other transactions in the interest of full disclosure.
The investigations have also unveiled many untidy, sordid, mind-bending public financial transactions; showcasing Nigeria as a corruption-riddled country with highly dysfunctional institutions where bizarre things can happen. These eye-popping allegations of illicit and fraudulent financial transactions on a grand scale, involving hundreds of billions in foreign and local currencies, narrowed down to the watch of the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki, who has denied the weighty allegations against him. He has promised to reveal much in court if and when his trial begins. The scandal has stretched from the NSA through the then Coordinating Minister of the Economy, to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Even the media was involved as twelve prominent newspapers have distanced themselves from reports that they each received N10 million from the NSA.
The observation that the foreign component spent on failed contracts was more than double the one billion dollars loan approved by the National Assembly to fight the insurgency is alarming. Notably, the loan was endorsed at the height of protests by soldiers, hundreds of whom deserted the front lines for lack of weapons. The preliminary audit committee report also uncovered extra-budgetary inventions of approximately N643.817 billion. The foreign currency component is put at $2.193 billion- amounts which excluded grants from state governments and funds collected by the Department of State Security (DSS) and the police. In spite of the huge financial interventions, very little was actually expended to buy arms and equipment.
Former Director of Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Shuaibu Salisu, made shocking revelations about how $47m was removed from the CBN in 11 suitcases, adding that though he signed for the withdrawal, he was, as a civil servant, only obeying the directives of former NSA. Salisu also told investigators at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) how another N10bn was taken from CBN to support PDP candidates for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections. He said the N10bn was authorized by then Coordinating Minister of the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, pointing out that he handed all the money to Dasuki. Okonjo-Iweala and CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele must explain how such huge amounts of money were carted away from CBN, and whether the manner of releasing the hard cash followed due process. Also, the continuous stay of Emefiele at the apex bank ought to be re-examined because to all intents and purposes, he compromised the integrity of the CBN by acting as cannon fodder for vested political interests.
Charges against Dasuki by the EFCC also include approval of the transfer of “an aggregate sum of N345m, being part of the funds in the account of the ONSA with the CBN, to the account of Starbriid Limited.” Former Internal Affairs and Education Minister, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, who confirmed he has interest in Starbriid Ltd, has come out to explain that funds from the NSA, remitted to Starbriid, were solely for the provision of consultancy services on security and electoral matters. Dr. Ayu argued that he does not deal in arms procurement and could not have collected monies from the federal government to buy military weapons and equipment. This begs the question: what kind of consultancy services that would warrant the payment of a whooping N345m paid by the office of Dasuki?
Hear Dr. Ayu in his own words: “When Colonel Sambo Dasuki assumed duty in June 2012, he approached me for assistance, based on my background as a social scientist, and my previous involvement in government. It is also public knowledge that I have considerable knowledge of Nigerian politics and skills about competitive political organization. This is why in 1999, General Olusegun Obasanjo appointed me as Director-General of his campaign. Similarly, in 2007, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar turned to me to assist him in the same capacity. Not surprisingly, I was approached in 2014 if I could coordinate former President Jonathan’s 2015 campaign. I politely declined by offering advisory services.” Ayu claims to be proud of his unblemished service to Nigeria in the various capacities he served, noting, “if I didn’t deem it necessary to abuse such public trust, there is no justification for jettisoning my fundamental beliefs after 10 years in private life.”
Without prejudice to Dr. Ayu and his “considerable knowledge of Nigerian politics and skills about competitive political organization,” his rambling monologue is self-righteous indignation and makes no sense. Dr. Ayu is not alone in this race to the bottom. The media is also involved in the free-for-all. The issue came to the fore after the chairman of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nduka Obaigbena, publisher of ThisDay newspaper, admitted receiving N680 million from Dasuki. Obaigbena told EFCC investigators, that Dasuki paid him N670 million as a compensation for the Boko Haram bomb attack on ThisDay office, and an additional N120 million on behalf of 12 newspapers as compensation for the military clampdown on print media in June 2014. NPAN, in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Feyi Smith, said the association agreed at a March 17, 2015 meeting to distribute N10 million each from the N120 million to the 12 newspapers affected by the military clampdown.
But five of the newspapers have come out strongly to deny having received any money from the NSA. They include: The Guardian, which said in a statement that although they incurred N450, 000 in losses as a result of the attack, “The Guardian newspapers did not receive any money and did not ask for any.” Other newspapers which have denied receiving the N10 million are: African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of Tribune titles; Peoples Media Limited, publishers of Peoples Daily; Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph; and Independent Newspapers Limited, publishers of Daily Independent newspapers.
Somebody is not telling the truth here. However, the window is open to establishing the veracity of all these claims and counter-claims but there must be accountability. In a country where citizens are being ravaged by excruciating poverty, these revelations are disheartening. What is clear now is the need to institute due process in governance and in public dealings. Nigeria has suffered enough embarrassment over the activities of unscrupulous public officials who are preoccupied with the mindless graft of public resources. This is one investigation that should be comprehensive and transparent, such that it leads to arrest and trials; and whoever is indicted should be made to answer for his/her misdeeds. The promise of a new dawn in public probity formed the plank of Buhari’s political covenant with the Nigerian people prior to his election mandate. The President has a duty to get to the root of this scandal. On this war on corruption, history is on his side.
