Buhari's Minister, Dambazau, 2 Other Army Chiefs INDICTED In Fresh $930.5m Arms Scam Probe

A serving Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Bello Dambazau is among some former army chiefs indicted in the newest report to be submitted to the president, Premium Times has reported.

As reported by our source, those indicted in the report of Presidential Committee on Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces with Dambazau are; the immediate past chief of army staff, Kenneth Minimah, and his predecessor, Azubuike Ihejirika. The probe report, which is described as “damning” and “explosive”, according to Premium Times, has stirred tension and frantic scheming among former army chiefs and other top officers of the Nigerian Army.

A reliable source close to the committee, which was set up by Mr. Buhari to probe the procurement of arms, ammunition and equipment in the military from 2007 to 2015, told this newspaper that several top retired army officers were indicted and some were already scheming to suppress the content of the report.

Mr. Dambazau was particularly mentioned as trying to suppress the content of the report. He was appointed the chief of army staff by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and served between 2008 and 2010.

“The committee members are putting things together and will present its findings to the president in the next week or so,” our source said.

Our source explained that the committee uncovered a whole lot of things including the outright stealing of money meant for equipment for the army, inflation of contract, diversion of money for soldiers’ welfare, money for the rehabilitation of barracks and military facilities and many other corrupt practices.

In March 2016, the committee, predominantly made up of retired military officers, had summoned 292 retired and serving top army officers including Messrs. Dambazau, Ihejirika and Minimah.

Last August, Mr. Buhari directed the national security adviser, Mohammed Mongonu, to set up a 13-member investigative committee on the procurement of hardware and munitions in the Armed Forces from 2007.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, stated that the investigative committee’s mandate is to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the armed forces.

The establishment of the investigative committee was in keeping with President Buhari’s determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service, Mr. Adesina said.

“It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops’ morale.

“The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment,” the statement said.

In January, Mr. Buhari ordered the arrest of the former chief of air force, Adesola Amosu, and other top officers of the Nigerian Air Force after an interim report of an inquiry into the procurement of equipment uncovered widespread diversion of funds and fraud.

Those indicted by the report were former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, former chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, and another former chief of air staff, Mohammed Umar. All of them and other top officers are facing corruption charges in court.

“The procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and generally characterized by irregularities and fraud,” the panel said. “In many cases, the procured items failed to meet the purposes they were procured for, especially the counter insurgency efforts in the North East.”

“A major procurement activity undertaken by ONSA for NAF was that concerning the contracts awarded to Societe D’ Equipment Internationaux (SEI) Nig Ltd.

“Between January 2014 and February 2015, NAF awarded 10 contracts totalling Nine Hundred and Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety US Dollars ($930,500,690.00) to SEI Nig Ltd.

“Letters of award and End User Certificates for all the contracts issued by NAF and ONSA respectively did not reflect the contract sums. Rather, these were only found in the vendor’s invoices, all dated 19 March 2015,” it said.

The panel said some of the award letters contained misleading delivery dates suggesting fraudulent intent in the award process. The observed discrepancies are in clear contravention of extant procurement regulations.

“The SEI contracts included procurement of two used Mi-24V Helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at the cost of One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Four Thousand US Dollars ($136,944,000.00).

“However, it was confirmed that the helicopters were excessively priced and not operationally air worthy at the time of delivery. A brand new unit of such helicopters goes for about Thirty Million US Dollars ($30m),” it noted.

Furthermore, the helicopters were delivered without rotor blades and upgrade accessories.

“Additionally, the helicopters were undergoing upgrade while being deployed for operation in the North East without proper documentation. It was further established that as at date, only one of the helicopters is in service while the other crashed and claimed the lives of two NAF personnel.

“The Committee established that ONSA also funded the procurement of 4 used Alpha-Jets for the NAF at the cost of Seven Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand US Dollars ($7,180,000.00). However, it was confirmed that only 2 of the Alpha-Jet aircraft were ferried to Nigeria after cannibalization of engines from NAF fleet.

“This is contrary to the written assertion of the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AN Amosu to the former NSA that all the 4 procured Alpha-Jets aircraft were delivered to the NAF.

“The non-militarisation of the Alpha-Jets made them unsuitable for deployment to the North East and they are currently deployed only for training at NAF Kainji.

“Furthermore, the procurement of the Alpha-Jets was contrary to the recommendation of the assessment team. The Committee found that the conduct of Air Marshal Amosu was deliberately misleading and unpatriotic,” the panel said.

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PREMIUM TIMES

Groups Celebrate Buhari's Legal Aide, Chief Okoi Obono-obla

Written By Ifere Paul

It was another day of solidarity and felicitation as different groups pour in their congratulations to Chief Okoi Obono-Obla in his appointment as the SA to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution.

The people of Okurubong Council of Traditional Rulers in Ugep had on the 12th of May, 2016 poured their congratulations to Chief Obono-Obla. Speaking on behalf of the Okurubong people of Ijiman, His Royal Highness, Elder Otoh Otoh Arikpo, the Chairman and Obol Kekpatu thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for seeing their son worthy of inclusion in the appointment to serve the good people of Okurubong in Ijiman, the Yakurr Nation, the entire people of Cross River State, and Nigeria in general.

His Royal Highness, Arikpo Omini Edet, who accompanied the Obol Kekpatu, said that the kingdom of God rewards those who worked hard for it. He described Chief Obono-Obla as John the Baptist who has been crying in the wilderness. “Even when people like us didn't believe you, you kept on preaching about the Messiah in Buhari. The victory of Muhammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria came to pass because people like you refused to be shaken. Therefore, we are here not to praise your dexterity. But to congratulate you on your patience and convictions. This goes to show that those who wait on the Lord, must surely be rewarded. Your appointment is an appointment well deserved“.

In his part, His Highness, Elder Abam Ofem Iwara thanked Muhammadu Buhari and pray that Chief Okoi Obono-Obla remembers that prosecution in Nigeria is very expensive that the poor sometimes are denied justice. He begged that Chief Okoi Obono-Obla uses his good office to reform the justice system and also make sure that poor people gets justice quick and cheap. He noted that some prosecution cases drags on for too long and sometimes, justice is sold out to those who can afford to pay for it. He congratulated Chief Obono-obla and wished him long life and prosperity.

The good people of South-South were not left out. The South-South Consolidated Forum as was represented by the president of the organisation, Comrade Dick Harry and Hon Nfawa Ofegobi also felicitated with their son from the South-South. The South-South Consolidated Forum has the Obong of Calabar as its patron in CRS.

Dick Harry used the occassion to thank President Muhammadu Buhari. “We want to use this opportunity to forward our unreserved appreciation for appointing our respectful son from the South-South into very enviable and hallowed positions in your government. The appointment is indicative of your sincere and unbiased position and interest to take Nigeria to a greater height”. He later charged Barr Okoi Obono-Obla to make sure he served Nigeria without fear or favour. But advised that Okoi should take his people along.

The Umor Otutu Socio Cultural Organization which Chief Okoi Obono-Obla happens to be member did not hold back its appreciations. The organization formally sent its congratulation message to the SA to the President on Prosecution on the 31th of May, 2016.

As if that was not enough, the Umor Otutu Socio Cultural Organization held a get together dinner in honor of their illustrious sons who were appointed in different capacities at Aguta Hotels & Suits, Abuja. The get together dinner meeting which was convened by Director General of the group, Mr Sebastien Eko, was attended by the de la creme of the Ugep people in Abuja. The group also honored Barr Eric Ifere Sr for his appointment as a member of the National Prosecution Co-ordination Committee.

The group presented gifts, exchanged ideas and advised the appointees to serve the President and country in general with fear and favor to anyone.

Responding to all those who visited to congratulate him, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla told his visitors to remain patient with Buhari as he knows that Buhari will not fail Nigerians. He however  acknowledged that he knows that things are difficult with the masses. He assures that “sometimes things gets tougher to get better”.

“I thank you all for finding time in your busy schedules to come and congratulate me. I hold each and everyone of you in high esteem. I may not remember to always call you people. But then, you should not forget to call me from time to time. I will work hard to make sure that I carry everyone of you along. Please advise me when you see me deviates. No man is an island”.

“Thank you all for yoir congratulations”, he concluded.