Army Chief to Reps: “My Predecessors Know Better What Happened to Funds Meant for Buying Arms”
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, insists that his predecessors, who were the former Army Chiefs, should be the ones to offer explanations on if funds approved by the Federal Government to purchase ammunition to fight insurgency in the North East, were utilized for its intended purpose.
Recall that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, in a BBC Hausa interview, last month revealed that funds running into billions of naira meant for the procurement of arms and ammunition under the past service chiefs were unaccounted for.
But in a public hearing at the National Assembly on Monday, members of the House Adhoc Committee on Arms and Ammunition Purchase asked Attahiru to explain the contents of the ‘Executive Summary’ on supposedly ‘arms purchase contracts’ awarded by the Nigerian Army, which he had laid before them.
He disagreed that he should be responsible for explaining contracts of arms purchase he did not personally authorize or award.
“The period for which you wanted this report, having been summarized in the Executive Summary, explains whatever details you will require. Issues of procurement that you so demand to get to know were done by specific individuals,” he insisted.
Speaking further during the hearing, Lt. Gen. Attahiru, said he will prefer members of the adhoc committee invite the “specific individuals” (apparently his predecessors) to explain ‘more clearly’ the specific issues to them.
Explaining why he was unable to honour previous invitations and summons of the Reps Committee, the COAS said: “I was either in the North East, South East or better still, South-South trying to ensure stability within Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, PRNigeria gathered that the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on arms and ammunition chaired by Hon Olaide Akinremi is charged with reviewing the purchase, use, and control of arms, ammunition, and related hardware by the military, paramilitary, and other law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.
