Fresh evidence of industrial-scale corruption in the military uncovered
by SaharaReporters shows that huge sums of money from the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the National Petroleum
Investment Services (NAPIMS) were funneled into military/security
operations in the restive Niger Delta in the past 13 years, with none of
it accounted for.
A document dated April, 30 2010, exclusively
obtained by this online news medium and signed by Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke, who was at the time Petroleum Resources Minister, shows
that eye-watering amounts went to each of the armed forces and the
police under the scheme.
Entitled "Payments On Behalf Of Federal
Government Re: Logistics Support For Security Operations In The Niger
Delta From 2003 To Date," it was addressed by the Minister to Mr.
Goodluck Jonathan who was at the time of the document Nigeria’s Acting
president.
"We wish to apprise Your Excellency that between 2006
and 2007, the sum of $745million was approved for the Arms of Services
and the Nigerian Police Force for funding of security expenses in the
Niger Delta," states the document in its opening line.
The
approved sum, she stated, was sourced from NAPIMS JV Cash Call budget
and Federal Government dividends from NLNG, and was utilized.
She proceeded to give a breakdown of how much was given to each arm of service and the police.
According to the document:
$220million was approved for the Army;
$185million was approved for the Nigerian Air Force;
$160million was approved for the Nigerian Navy got; and
$180million for the Nigeria Police Force
For
the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years, a total of $400million from the NAPIMS
JV Cash Call budgets was also appropriated for security in the Niger
Delta.
The document revealed that a total of $221.171million was expended on security in the oil-bearing region, as follows:
$46.8million to the Defence Intelligence Agency for logistics for security;
$158.7million to the Navy for patrol boats; and
$11.1million
to the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Security and
Safety (PICOMSS). That committee was eventually scrapped.
This, revealed the document, left a balance of $178.83million appropriated in 2008 and 2009.
Despite
the huge cash splash, Alison-Madueke went on to make additional
requests totaling $154.11million, and yet another, of $35.75million. The
additional requests, said the Minister in the document, were already
with the NNPC awaiting Jonathan's approval for payment.
Broken
down the Army made an additional request of $48.75million; the Nigeria
Police Force, $15.70million; and PICOMSS, $86.66million. Of the
$35.75million also requested by the Minister, and captured as
"commitments from the Arms of Service", $5.34million was to go to the
Army, 0.07million to the Police, $7.29million to the Navy and
$23.05million to the Police.
Before former president Jonathan was
voted out of office last year, there were loud calls for an
investigation into defence and security spending, with some of those
making the calls asking for an extension of the demanded probe to the
time of his predecessor, former president Umaru Yar'Adua.
The
widespread belief was that there was grand theft while Yar'Adua, who
later died, was incapacitated by ill-health. Under Yar'Adua, the Chief
of Army Staff was General Abdurahaman Bello Dambazzau, who is currently
the country's Interior Minister. Dambazzau, who was appointed by
President Muhammadu Buhari last August, has had his name mentioned in
connection with the financial malfeasance that has dogged the military
over the years.
Bizarrely, his name his and that of General Tukur
Yusuf Buratai, current Chief of Army Staff, are missing from the list
of those affected by the Federal Government probe into defence spending,
prompting critics to accuse Buhari of favouritism.
The
exclusion of Dambazzau and Buratai from the list has fuelled criticisms
of the probe. Notable among the critics is Governor Ayodele Fayose of
Ekiti State, who has challenged Nigerians to demand the release of the
authentic report of the Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment
Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He described the
Federal Government's claim that the probe panel only looked into
procurement and contracts awarded by the military between 2011-2015
because documents related to procurement from 2007 to 2010 were
unavailable as a clear indication of Buhari's support for corruption.
In
a statement issued by his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, the governor
said, “There are many petitions relating to defence from 2007 that are
been discarded, the question is why?
“Buhari’s’ Minister of
Interior, Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) was Chief of Army
Staff between 2008 and 2010 and the current Chief Of Army Staff (COAS)
Major General Tukur Buratai, served as Director of Procurement, Defence
Headquarters, from 2012 till May 2015.
“It is a fact that the committee in its terms of reference said it queried all procurement from 2007 to 2015.
"Even
the press release issued was titled "Third Interim Report of the
Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement from
2007 to 2015," Fayose sneered.
The governor also pointed out that
the first paragraph of the committee report indicated that it used
2007-2015 as a reference, stressing that the committee "analysed
procurement contracts awarded by or for the Nigerian Army between 2007
and 2015."
COAS Buratai was recently exposed by SaharaReporters
as the owner of two luxury apartments, worth $1.5million, in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. He claimed to have bought them from “personal
savings.”
Following strident nationwide criticism, the Federal
Government then announced its approval of further investigations into
the purchase of military hardware and weaponry from 2007. Among the
subjects of a further probe, disclosed the panel handling the
investigation, are two former Chiefs of Army Staff, Generals Anthony
Ihiejirika and KTJ Minimah; former Foreign Affairs Minister Nurudeed
Mohammed; and three former Defence Ministry permanent secretaries.
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