Armsgate Scandal: Why Goodluck Jonathan Should Visit The EFCC
Editor’s note: Two days ago Ibrahim Magu, the EFCC chairman, dotted all i’s by explaining why the former president Goodluck Jonathan was not prosecuted for allegedly being involved in the armsgate scandal. However, a guest columnist, holds another point of view. Considering the gravity of the revelations from one of the major corruption scandals in Nigeria, he urges Goodluck Jonathan to visit the EFCC, and make his position on the issue known to Nigerians.
Since the late November 2015 both traditional and social media have been following the mind-boggling revelations from armsgate, or Dasukigate as some prefer to call one of the deadliest corruption scandals in the Nigerian history. These revelations are not only embarrassing, but also very annoying. For goodness sake, why should anyone divert the funds meant for equipping the military at the expense of Nigerian citizens?
One scandal — too many actors
It was alleged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that a huge sum of $2.1 billion meant for arms purchase was diverted for personal use by the former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki. Since the investigation began, many political bigwigs have been implicated in one way or another, including President Buhari’s political ally, Jafaru Isah, who also received a sum of N170 million from Dasuki.
One important thing to note, based on the confessional statements of the accused, is that a large chunk of the funds was used for the re-election of the former president Goodluck Jonathan, with the NSA office serving as a conduit for distribution. The owner of AIT and a business mogul, Raymond Dokpesi, received N2.1 billion; the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, collected N400 million; the former secretary to the government of the federation and the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Falae, received N100 million; the former national chairman of the PDP, Dr Bello Haliru, got N600 million. Some former governors and a number of political giants have also been mixed up in the scandal.
The allegations are so heinous that one finds it difficult to believe the former president Jonathan was not involved. Even though the EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu, said: “All approvals by former president Jonathan did not mention that it was for political purposes. All the memos approved by him were for the purchase of arms,” I still strongly believe Mr Jonathan has many questions to answer. Whether or not he was involved, I see no reason why he should not visit the EFCC, and make his position known to Nigerians. After all, he is alive, hale and hearty.
Goodluck Jonathan and the armsgate scandal
Considering the enormity of the Boko Haram activities and the urgent need to defeat the sect, it is rather surprising to find out that the commander-in-chief of the armed forces at that time was not thoroughly involved in the operations. Some have suggested that perhaps the ex-president left the whole security issues to the NSA with little or no supervision. I see that as more or less an insult on all Nigerians because security is the primary purpose of the government. So, saying the erstwhile president was not aware of Dasuki’s plans to use the arms funds for the campaign purposes is a pill that is too bitter for me to swallow.
The historic concession call made by Jonathan to Buhari is highly laudable. The international community applauded it for it helped to improve our democracy. I strongly believe Jonathan will be on the good side of history if he makes efforts to let Nigerians know his position on the armsgate scandal. This is even more important considering the consequences of the transactions that took place under his watch — it is a crime against humanity. A lot of Nigerian soldiers and innocent citizens lost their lives in the fight against insurgency because the Nigerian military could not get the needed weapons; they were betrayed by their own leaders, who were elected to protect them. Too bad!
Considering what the allegedly embezzled $2.1 billion could do to the lives of Nigerians — for example, to construct roads and rails, build schools, hospitals, create employment opportunities, promote agriculture — Mr Jonathan need to speak up. Not doing this will only validate the reason for which Nigerians voted him out of office — incompetence! He needs to answer the questions like: where was he when Dasuki was wasting the arms funds for the purpose of re-election? Is it that he was not fully involved in the fight against insurgency? How come he did not call Dasuki to order had he heard about his atrocities? Nigerians need answers.
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