As the wave of vehement denials from prominent Nigerians alleged to have taken part in sharing the arms money laundering saga revolving around former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) keep pouring in, public opinion about the whole issue is polarised. More so when it is reported that more lists of beneficiaries of the loot are still anticipated. Some Nigerian commentators remain indifferent, others have taken sides either for of against the personnae dramatis in the whole saga so far.
Dasuki has been accused of three separate charges in three different courts for $2.1bn arms cash laundering, illegal diversion of N32bn and diversion of N13.6bn and has revealed that some prominent Nigerians shared in the loot. He is now facing 47-count charges before the three courts and judges in Abuja.
Denials everywhere:
First, the Presidency has exculpated President Buhari from the list of beneficiaries in the arms loot, saying, “Our attention has been drawn to reports making the rounds, especially on Internet-based media, that President Muhammadu Buhari received $300,000 and up to five armoured SUVs from the Office of the National Security Adviser in the aftermath of the attack on his convoy in Kaduna, last year…we unequivocally deny that President Buhari received $300,000 or any monetary compensation whatsoever from the Jonathan Presidency or any of its officials, in the aftermath of that attack, or at any other time since then.”
Also, the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, has equally denied reports that a former minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda, gave him N100 million out of the money collected from Dasuki. “I reiterate for the purpose of emphasis, that I had no dealings with the former NSA, neither did I collect any money from Yuguda. I challenge anyone who has any contrary evidence to produce it,” charged Odili.
Also, National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, denied partaking in the loot even as he admitted Tuesday that he collected some money from former president Goodluck Jonathan to handle a job, but he did not mention the nature of the job that was given to him and how much was involved.
“In the course of my duties as the National Publicity Secretary of our party, the then leader of our party and the President invited me and directed that I carry out some assignments relating to my office, which he duly funded. It is important to note that the former President was fully satisfied with the way and manner I handled the assignment,” said Metuh.
Therefore, below are some selected comments of Nigerians to the Dasuki arms fund laundering saga.
UnapologeticallyYoruba
Dasuki, Plea bargain??
I thought he pleaded not guilty.
The only plea bargain that will work for me is:
1. a refund of all our money.
2. The names of ALL those that partook of the sharing of the commonwealth.
3. A court martial to try Dasuki like he organized the trial and sentencing of innocent soldiers to cover up his crimes of not supplying weaponry.
4. A one-way ticket to the front lines in Sambisa with an AK47 and munitions (I am not wicked like him and want to give him a fighting chance at survival).
prosper5 •
The end justify the means. If at the end Dasuki and Co did not go to jail, I will know Buhari is not serious. No plea bargain.
Dr Philo •
There’s no way Jonathan was not aware of all these; N2.1bn for media, other billions given to presidential primaries’ delegates.. another set of funds for presidential campaigns, etc. Are they scared of asking him questions?
Darlington_Ehondor •
THE “ADMISSION” ONLY INSPIRES GIGGLES OF AMUSEMENT
It is a fact of nature: whenever it threatens to rain, thunder goes into spontaneous overdrive, summoning humanity to torrential downpours. We are seeing a fitting human analogy. Sambo Dasuki, today’s favorite villain and Mohammadu Buhari’s current preoccupation, threatens to sing a song of stunning revelations, and even his persecutors are collapsing into disorienting panic and “admitting” their own complicity in the docudrama of sleaze and robbing the public to pay the pigs.
Clearly destabilized by Dasuki’s threat, the Presidency is coming out, in shivering haste, to “admit” that Buhari, far from being the squeaky clean embodiment he supposedly represents, took some of what Dasuki allegedly stole from the public. Unsurprisingly, however, Buhari’s minions are justifying his guilt by resorting to ludicrous legalism, thereby unilaterally legitimizing, hence distinguishing it from acts of corruption.
Aso Rock says the President never received hard cash from Dasuki, only a couple of miserable SUVs, which, it says, were “humanitarian gifts” from Goodluck Jonathan to replace his Jeep that was damaged in a terrorist bomb attack. Never mind, however, that the donation came long before the attack.
Still, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s talking head, insists, and read him, that “the vehicles were in keeping with Buhari’s entitlements as a former Head of State under the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (And other Ancillary Matters) Decree of 1999.” He summarizes Buhari’s innocence in plain, excessively rude disregard for the public’s sensibilities: “Section 3, Sub Section 1 of that Decree provides that three vehicles will be provided for former Heads of State and replaced every four years.
There was therefore nothing untoward, illegal or tending to corruption in former Head of State Buhari and Presidential aspirant, as he then was, receiving vehicles, to which he was statutorily entitled, from the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
Oh dear! “Admissions” like these only inspire guttural giggles of amusement. They are a face-saving gesture specifically conceived to maintain a spurious image of unblemished character, thereby fooling the public. Unfortunately, the white sheets are already tainted and stained with blood.
The facade of moral purity is, consequently demolished and the true stench of moral sewage unveiled. Sambo Dasuki may be up to his ears with dipping into the public’s purse, but, as the presidency has confessed, those pursuing him tasted of his haulage. So, who is guiltier than the other?
ogunjobi •
Please, return some of your loots, we can never recover all of his stolen nigerians money again We need this loots for infrastructures namely power, water, health sector, education, roads, bridges, build manufacturing factories for nigerian workers, particularly the youth and graduates who are roaming about the country to reduce our unemployment rate etc
We should believe in ourselves, WE CAN make nigeria a better place to live for the future generations. From Dr Building Engineer Ogunjobi Oversea.
andrew ozonuwe •
I love reading Nigerian newspapers because its full of drama. Reading the stories and comments is just hilarious. Its more than Hollywood movies.
Debaye •
Are we still being governed by decrees? Thought decrees had gone with the military era. Oh I’m being forgetful, a military man is on the throne. Or is the decree stuff brought forth to defend the president by all/any means? Was the president (then being a former president) supposed to get an armoured/bullet proof vehicle from the govt? Is it not corruption to accept such, while the law is against it and the majority of the populace are wallowing in poverty?
Was it not because of the purchase of armoured vehicle for use by govt functionaries that the former aviation minister was vilified and asked to be prosecuted? Oh Presidency, thou art inexcusable. The law, says if you share in a loot, knowingly or unknowingly, you are a looter. I think the President should resign and face prosecution. He has shared in the ‘armsgate’
prosper5 •
We can pardon Buhari because of the good work he is now doing, but he has to return the SUVS to federal government.
united ray •
I’m wondering why he did that. I read how pdp raised 21 billion for their party during election what happened to that fund? Or what. I am confused. This is heart breaking that people were killed and the money was approved for weapons but nothing happened. What a shame.
Den_Umeh united •
No say dat kind ting. Na today you join dis forum. Jonathan bought so much weapons for the army to fight but they refused to fight. Where are the PDP people, to help me?
bnemesi8
President Buhari, you are doing great, please find time to clean house from the supreme court down to the lower courts. Those reckless, brigand of thieves call judges are selling verdicts to the highest bidder. All the corruption fight would come to naught under the watch of those judges. Do something now. Investigate, clean and dismiss asap!!!
-Vanguard