Arms Procurement Probe: The Beatification Of Saints Danbazau And Buratai

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The suspected cache of sleaze prevalent in the military between 2007- 2015 on the pretext of fighting Boko Haram provoked the setting up of a 13 man committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP) in the Nigerian Armed Forces by President Muhammadu Buhari. It is headed by retired AVM John Ode and briefed to investigate the arms procurements during the period under review. As work began in earnest with shocking revelations and discoveries of the ignonimous roles played by the former Chiefs of Air Staff AVM Alex Badeh and Adesola Amosun, the former National Security Adviser Dasuki Sambo, politicians especially members of the Peoples' Democratic Party and a whole lot of contractors, a damning report indicting both and many others has led to their arraignments. Many more prosecutions are in the offing.

The public clapped and is gorging on the perceived odium of these soldiers and men turned villains if you like. The courts have been urged to see that justice is done in the matter not only to serve as a deterrent to others but for possible recovery of the loot. Of great importance is the expected justice for the injured, homeless and hundreds of malnourished babies dotting IDP camps in the North East. Justice for the souls of innocent Nigerians who died as a result of deliberate dereliction of duties, greed, falsehood and inactions of those involved. The courts are seen to have been consciously working to meet the expectations of Nigerians. However, the nation is in dilemma as to what to do when the courts  grants bails in favour of some of the suspects but the executive ignores it still using the courts to justify their action.

However, with the submission of the third interim report bothering on the army, the anti- corruption tang has vanished considerably. There seems to be a deliberate twist or complete derailment of the anti-corruption drive by President Muhammadu Buhari himself or his men. The campaign has unfortunately crowned and beatified two big fishes: Abdulrahman Dambazau the minister of Interior and Lt .Gen. Tukur Buratai; the current Chief of Army Staff who held various strategic positions during the period under review. In fact, Abdulrahman Dambazau was the Chief of Army Staff from 2008 to 2010 under the dispensations of Musa Yar'adua and Goodluck Jonathan while Tukur Buratai was the Director of procurement in Defence Headquarters from 2012 – 2014. Both played significant roles in the fight against Boko Haram.

Both were fingered in the arms deal saga but the report indicted only two former Chiefs of Army Staff:  Generals Azubuike Ihejirika, Kenneth Minimah and others who served after Danbazau. Many Nigerians accuse the government of being selective and refusing to indict key members of the current administration who are believed to have played questionable roles in military procurement since 2007.  Nigerians could testify to the fact that the depravity and monstrous part of Boko Haram was sparked during Yar'adua and Jonathan's administration after the killing of Yusuf Mohammed, the leader of the sect. It is ironic to hide behind a government known for its anti-corruption stance to provide cover and exonerate these two for obvious reasons.

How possible was it that the former Chief of Army Staff Abdulrahman Dambazau did not procure arms even when it was in the public knowledge that the vicious attacks of the sect on innocent citizens escalated during his reign as the army chief. How possible could it also be that Buratai who served as Director of Procurement, Defence Headquarters, between 2012 and May 2014 before he was appointed force commander Multi- national Force was ignorant of purchases and shipments of arms and logistics to fighting the terror of Boko Haram? Your answers are as good as mine.

In an attempt to ward off allegation of bias, the Buhari government, in a statement from the office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said,  “Mr. Dambazau's name was not included among those indicted because the third interim report only looked into procurement and contracts awarded for and by the military between 2011-2015. “When the documents regarding procurement from 2007 to 2010 are available and scrutinised, the committee will then issue its report on that. The audit is being done in phases, and the report that was released on Thursday is the third of such,” said Segun Adeyemi, the minister's media aide.  What a a half truth and a smart defence of an obvious lie.

There was a report by Premium Times an online newspaper not long ago alerting Nigerians of a grand and criminal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of that report by those fingered in the saga using their positions as government officials and some cabals in the presidency in a face saving effort aimed at washing the government clean of visible corrupt elements within its ranks. In fact, according to Premium Times, “Danbazau was found wanting by investigators, and that he was frantically lobbying to have his name delisted from the report. The government is also accused of not indicting Tukur Buratai, current Chief of Army Staff, who served as the director of military procurement under the former Goodluck Jonathan administration.” The report was released and true to their “omnipotence” the evil machinations of this clique has succeeded. Danbazau and Buratai's names were not mentioned. This action of a few powerful men will take the nation many steps backward in the well-intended fight against corruption and corrupt tendencies. The law of nature abhors injustice, therefore, the seeming dispensation of favour and application of deliberate weapons of falsehood and partiality in the discharge of national responsibilities will fail and the nation and its poor citizenry will be worse off as usual.

While those behind this pointless face saving expedition of their friends against national interest are walking the corridors of power, Nigerians are disenchanted with the seed of discord gradually being sown in the polity. It is evident that a high level of discontent is already building and brewing in the nation. One section of the country is obviously favoured for juicy appointments and also insulated from ongoing major prosecution for reasons best known to those in power. A political party and those associated with it are criminalised while those who occupied powerful political positions previously in the same party for years but have become emergency converts overnight are today walking freely and celebrated democrats. Government trudges on and behaves as if all is well with statements from appointees who Dele Sobowale, a renowned economist and veteran journalist referred to as suffering  from Aso Rock Disease strenuously striving to retain their jobs and paraphernalia of offices. But anyone who pretends that no damage is done or has been done to the essence of our nation must be living in denial and in fool's paradise too. The result is the economic woes confronting the nation now and the prevalence of dissenting groups and non-state actors daring the government on all fronts. The latest hydra-headed monster is the Niger Delta Avengers which is a product of isolation and brazen injustice. When will Nigeria learn from her previous mistakes? This piece of information should not be misconstrued to drum support for or condone corruption or impunity by those occupying positions of authority as it was not a product of fund raised by those indicted, any proxy or pay master as the case may be but we should be treated fairly and equally in a nation already in shambles with visible crack and suspicion drawn among ethnic interest.

Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, a Media and Communications Specialist lives in Kaduna and is the publisher of thenewinsightng.blogspot.com. He wrote via [email protected] and can be reached on 08060901201

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