The Committee for the Defence of Democracy (CDD) has raised alarm over a plan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arrest former president Goodluck Jonathan over allegations surrounding the diversion of $2.1 billion arms scandal.
The unconfirmed report, however, came as no surprise because the former National Security Adviser, Col (rtd.) Sambo Dasuki was emphatic throughout his arraignment in court that he has done nothing wrong in diverting the fund earmarked for arms purchases to combat Boko Haram insurgent into political campaign for Jonathan’s re-election because his boss directed him to do so.
Coincidentally, Chief Tony Anenih, former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party also told EFCC that Jonathan gave him the same order to pay some politically high profile leaders for which N140 million is yet to be reimbursed to him after paying out N400m to the prominent personalities..
CDD in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Akindele Lawson, described this latest move by the APC-led Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari as the height of the series of blame that the new administration has continued to cast on the last administration of Jonathan.
It asked President Buhari to stop blaming his predecessor, Jonathan, for Nigeria’s problems, while urging the government to instead focus on delivering dividends of democracy to Nigerians, as promised during the electioneering campaigns.
“It is already eight months in the life of the Buhari government and all we have continued to hear is that our problems were caused by the last administration, without anything pointing towards a rescue plan by this government.”
CDD stated that if the President continues piloting the affairs of this nation with so much focus on the past, then there will be danger ahead as there may be no indication of any change, which Nigerians have earnestly anticipated from the APC government, in any near future.
On the so-called arms probe by the President Buhari’s government, CDD stressed that it was wrong for anybody to claim that ammunition and military hardware were not bought for the Nigerian Armed Forces during President Jonathan administration, as it asserted that the current probe is nothing, other than the probe of the campaign funding of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is just being sensationalized by the APC government.
“It is on record that despite the difficulties that the Jonathan administration faced in procuring arms from some Western nations over alleged human rights issues, he still managed to source sizable quantities of platforms, weapons, bullets and other ammunition for the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, which were used to tackle insurgency to a near end before the end of his administration.”
“There is no doubt that the purchase of massive arms and ammunition in the last one year of the Jonathan government made it possible for the military to rout out Boko Haram terrorists from all parts of Yobe and Adamawa States, leaving only about three local government areas in Borno State, partially under the control of the insurgents, as at May 2015,” the statement further said.
The group, therefore, challenged the Buhari’s administration to deny the fact that the Nigerian military was still using the arms and ammunition procured by Jonathan to fight in those problem areas, insisting that Buhari’s government has not bought any new arms till date.
It added, “Finally, the CDD, wishes to remind President Buhari and the APC, that elections are over and less focus should be placed on Dr. Jonathan or his party, PDP. Our economy is sliding towards recession and several uncertainties are already trailing our national polity, as it is time for APC government to face the business of governance and stop the blame game.”
-Vanguard
