The arrest and grilling of former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, General Sambo Dasuki by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security operatives have opened can of worms in the Jonathan government as the new administration continue to probe the over $2bn arms fund allegedly looted by henchmen of the immediate past government.
With the melodrama around the embattled former NSA and the daily revelation of how money meant for the combating of terrorism in North Eastern Nigeria was mindlessly looted by people who were saddled with the responsibility of combating terror, many Nigerians remain stupefied as to how wicked, satanic and inhuman the perpetrators of this financial crimes could be.
It is extremely disheartening and sad that a government that claimed it had no money to prosecute war on terror all through their six years hold on power, which compelled the nation via an approval by the National Assembly to borrow $1bn could sit down and share most of the borrowed money among a few politically exposed Nigerians of the PDP clan and their collaborators.
With the arrest of a former Director of Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Shaibu Salisu who was said to have spilled the beans following weeks and months of Dasuki’s refusal to open up made the coast clear for heart rending revelations of the looting of Nigerians’ fortunes by the cabal. Salisu was said to have made some implicating statements that compelled Dasuki to eat the humble pie and face the reality before him and stop the court rigmarole and feigning of ill health. .
But more worrisome is the activities of the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chef Olisa Metuh who was quick at casting aspersions on the Federal Government using all sorts of gutter language. Olisa Metuh shamelessly sees everything through prism of politics. When Dasuki and Salisu were arrested, Olisa Metuh said it was a witch-hunt of PDP elements in the country. After their merry go round with security operatives and facts of the stealing started rolling out, more names were listed by the prime suspects. Then came the arrest of Former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa by operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC .
Their arrest followed an interim panel report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on probe of arms purchase during the last administration. The report indicated that over $2 billion might have been siphoned with nothing on ground to show for it..
With their arrest, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said in a statement in Abuja that ” it was government’s plan tailored to decimate the opposition and cow the media in Nigeria. Metuh said: “While the PDP is not against the war against corruption, we insist that the crusade must be carried out within the limits of the law and not as guise to persecute and torture opposition elements.”
The statement to say the least is indicative of what the PDP represented in Nigeria- a ware house of corruption. Otherwise, why would anyone in his right senses condemn the arrest of persons who are suspected to have mindlessly shared money meant to tackle a raging terrorism in the country? who now was out to decimate who?
When some Nigerian soldiers ran away from the battle front because the government at that time did not provide the needed military equipment, arms and ammunition for them to prosecute the war, the same Dasuki and his lieutenants in the military decided to arrest and detain several military officers for “dereliction” and dissertations. This is the saddest angle to their evil-mindedness.
But shame unto Olisa Metuh and his sleaze-infested PDP as the arrested men are on a daily basis revealing how much they received from the ONSA and what they did with the huge sums of Nigerian tax payers’ money. Founder of Daar Communications, Raymond Dokpesi, was said to have admitted to receiving the sum of N2.1 billion from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
According to a statement by the management of DAAR Communications Plc, Dokpesi said the funds he received from Dasuki was meant for the “publicity and media political campaigns during the 2015 General Elections.” Since when has the office of the National Security Adviser be the office that disburses the campaign funds for a political party? How can the money meant to fight terrorism in North East Nigeria and combat other security issues find its way into the hands of PDP leaders?
Former Sokoto state governor, Attahiru Bafarawa while admitting that he received N4.6 billion from embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki claimed the money he collected was for “spiritual purposes,” What spiritual work would you do with N4.6bn?
Latest revelation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George, received the sum of N100m each from the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, rtd. A source from the anti-graft agency revealed that the N200m given to the two PDP officials was from the fund meant to procure arms that will better reposition the military in its fight against insurgency. The money was said to have been paid to them so as to ensure the re-election of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, who lost the presidential election held on March 28, 2015.
More revelations thumbed in by weekend exposing how more PDP stalwarts shared the $2billion and we also expect them to tell Nigerians why they collected such huge sums of money. It is, however, gratifying to note that the EFCC and all security agencies are on top of the scandal, They should be very professional and thorough in the discharge of their duties. They should ensure that all monies looted by the suspects are traced, tracked and retrieved for development of the country.
No treasury looter should be allowed to retain proceeds of crime and with this startling revelations, Olisa Metuh should stop his boozing noise and, like the Ostrich bury his head in shame. If he dares rare his ugly head again, it should be that he sneaks into the Institute of Democratic Governance to take lectures on how to manage credible opposition in a democracy. This is recommended for Metuh, because from all indications and from his outlandish outbursts he clearly lacks the basic credentials to be the mouth piece of any opposition party in a democratic Nigeria.
Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.
