President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to set up probe panels to investigate arms purchases within the military establishment since the return of democracy in 1999.
Urging the president to extend the scope of ongoing probe beyond former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, a retired army colonel and former Quarter Master General, Lagos Garrison Command, Nigerian Army, Colonel Gabriel Adetunji Ajayi noted that while it is good that a probe panel has been investigating the roles played by the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki in procurement of arms being used in fighting Boko Haram insurgency, he, however, insisted that there was a need to extend the scope of the probe in order to expose what he called the rot that had been taking place over the years in the military establishment. He also spoke on other issues relating to Boko Haram insurgency, procurement of arms, troops welfare and President Muhammadu Buhari’s December deadline to the Armed Forces to wipe out Boko Haram, among others. Excerpts:
As a retired Army officer, what is your reaction to reports of soldiers being sent to the war front to fight Boko Haram insurgents without ammunition and equipment?
It is unprofessional to send soldiers to the battle front without adequate ammunition and equipment. Even in the ancient times and dark ages when swords, spears, bows and arrows were used to fight wars, these weapons were always made available for the combatants before they were sent to the war front. It is not only ridiculous but also very embarrassing that men and officers are being deployed to the war front without ammunition or the right equipment.
How do we expect the soldiers to fight without equipment?
It is tantamount to sending them to their early graves by asking them to proceed to the war front without equipment. It is also sad that we are hearing that money budgetted for arms purchase ended up in private pockets. There are so many lapses within the system that some people are taking advantage of. Besides, a lot of people take undue advantage of the fact that former President Jonathan lacks experience about military matters to commit crimes against this nation.
Why should the office of the National Security Adviser, be saddled with arms purchase and procurement?
It is illegal for the office of the NSA to be involved in the direct purchase of arms. Most of the fraud that took place regarding arms purchase during Jonathan’s administration was as a result of the fact that arms were purchased through a third party. Why did we need to purchase arms through a third party when we could have done that directly from any country of our choice? You only purchase arms through a third party when the country involved is a rogue country or a country under military rule with sanctions hanging over it. Nigeria is not under any sanction. We are running a democratically elected government and, therefore, we are in a position procure arms directly from any nation of our choice.
Like during the civil war when Nigeria was under a military rule, most countries of the world, including the United States and United Kingdom, refused to sell arms to us. It was only Russia that sold arms to Nigeria. We have to get the needed ammunition through a third party. It still baffles me why the military authorities or former President Goodluck Jonathan, as the former Commander-In-Chief, allowed these lapses. Dasuki’s role as NSA was to advise the president on arms purchase. He was not supposed to be directly involved. Arms purchase is supposed to be done under the supervision of the president, bringing in other relevant organs like Army Department of Policy and Plans in the Army Headquarters — this is usually the department that submits military request to the government. Then you also have officials of Ministry of Defence playing their own role.
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