FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA ARMS PROCUREMENT DEAL PROBE

PRESS  RELEASE  Further to the arms fraud and release of names of some Nigerians for further investigations by the Economic and Financia...

PRESS  RELEASE


 Further to the arms fraud and release of names of some Nigerians for further investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) on arms procurement deals in most national newspapers date 15th July 2016, the Freedom of Information Advocates Nigeria, conducted an independent forensic analysis of the interim report submitted by the Presidential Investigative Panel and made the following observations:

 Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Odey (Chairman of the Presidential Investigative Panel) was the Special Adviser (SA) to the then Minister of Defence Major Gen Gusau (Rtd) 2014 - 2015 whose role was to superintend and advise the Hon Minister of Defence on issues relating to arms procurement and other related matters.
It is NOT prudent for AVM Odey to sit in judgment over a matter in which he was involved.

 General Labaran, Former Director General, Defence Industries Corporation Of Nigeria (DICON) 2009-2012 who is currently a member of the Presidential Investigative Panel is currently enmeshed in a N3.6B (Three Billion Six hundred million) Naira contract scandal for the production of AK-47 bullets which was 100% paid for but only executed up to 30%.
As a result, the Nigerian Military continues to suffer casualties fighting Boko Haram. The General has no business on that panel. He is tainted.

 Brig Gen Nyama who was the procurement director between 2007-2011 is also a member of the Presidential Investigative Panel investigating arms contracts which he participated in awarding. He should at best be a witness NOT an investigator.




Our analysis further revealed that:


  90% of N186Biliion arms deal plus the US Dollar counterpart was disbursed by the Ministry of Defence and National Security Adviser’s office without input from the End Users (Army, Navy and Airforce)



 Major General Gusau (Rtd), Permanent Secretary Aliyu and others superintended over the arms procurement deal in the Ministry of Defence, NSA’s office, etc within the period 2007-2015 but they were not mentioned in the PIP report. Why?


  Former Minister Murtala Yar Adua was in charge of the Ministry of Defence for the period in question and also superintended over the mis-managed N35Billion Peace-Keeping vote. We wonder why this supervising minister hasn’t been invited for interrogation.


  We also discovered that huge amount of money in Dollars was paid to a Nigerian CITIZEN with links to Niger Republic whose identity was never revealed in the investigative report. Who is this NIGERIAN? The panel should unveil the identity of this person in spirit of transparency.

 The report did not specify the amount allegedly misappropriated by each ministry/agency with dates indicating purpose and level of performance.

The funds were all lumped together misleading the general public. Each ministry/agency ought to have given account of all funds accrued to them within the period under investigation. CONCLUSION We do align with the Nigerian government’s anti-corruption campaign. However, Nigerians expect that such must be holistic, transparent and inclusive



SIGNED.

Mrs. Sharon Adoli-Lawrence

Acting Executive Director





Freedom of Information Advocates Initiative(FOIA)
39 Grove Road, Cockfosters, London, EN4 9DJ 
Tel: +44 203 643 7650;
 www.foianigeria.org; info@foianigeria.org.