PMB to probe arms deals under Jonathan

President Muhammadu Buhari will order an investigation into contracts involving the procurement of weapons for the military under the Goodluck Jonathan administration .

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this while featuring on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, on Sunday evening Shehu spoke a few days after the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, said he led a military that was ill- equipped.

A former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), had also said while some weapons and equipment procured by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan were used to fight insurgency during the latter days of his tenure, some others were still being awaited. The presidential spokesman said Buhari was interested in taking stock of every naira that left the national treasury and for what purpose. He said Nigerians were aware that books were already being checked and the exercise was not limited to the oil sector.

He said, “The President is interested in every penny that leaves the Nigeria’s treasury.

“As you are aware, records are being checked right now, not only in the oil sector, but also in the various departments of g overnment.

“So, Mr. President is really interested in what has happened to the equipment that have supposedly been bought and supplied, some of which might be there on the ground or might not be. “Only a thorough audit will actually reveal this. The disclosure has been made about substandard (equipment) in the Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram.” Shehu reiterated Buhari’s desire to urgently end the activities of the Boko Haram sect. While saying that normalcy is gradually being restored, the presidential spokesman noted that there is currently no territory in the control of Boko Haram. “The insurgents have been degraded. They are in disarray without a central command and coordination,” he declared. Shehu said the President would not send troops to the warfront without ensuring that they are properly equipped and taken care of.

“Just on Friday, at the National Defence College, Mr. President was committing himself to the fact that our military will be well taken care of in terms of their welfare, in terms of their equipment and in terms of the motivation they need to confront these insurgents.

“We are already beginning to see the fruits of this because as we speak right now, Boko Haram is in disarray.

“And what we are witnessing now; that is, occasional bombings and suicide attacks, characterise only one thing globally. And that is that, the dying days of the insurgency. It’s just a matter of time, we’ll get there,” he said.

Punch