Many people have reacted to the comments attributed to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that Dasuki didn’t steal the $2.1 billion he is being accused of by the EFCC.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Following his comment that it was inconceivable to say that former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd,) stole $2.2bn as he is being accused by the Economic and Financial Commission, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has come under severe criticism.
Jonathan had argued that it would not be right to say that $2.2bn was stolen with the equipment and arms bought by his administration when he delivered a lecture on Youth Entrepreneurship at the Oxford Union in the United Kingdom on Tuesday.
The EFCC is prosecuting Dasuki after arresting and detaining him since mid-2015, over alleged diversion of arms fund, totalling $2.1bn.
Jonathan, in a statement by an Abuja-based public relations outfit, the PR Nigeria, said he had kept quiet to allow the court to handle the ongoing prosecution of the former NSA so as not to be seen as a former President challenging a sitting administration.
However, while reacting to the question, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the courts should be allowed to decide the matter which he said was subjudice.
“The matter is subjudice. Let the courts decide,” the presidential spokesman said.
Jonathan said, “They said the National Security Adviser (Sambo Dasuki) stole $2.2bn. I don’t believe somebody can just steal $2.2 billion.
‘‘We bought warships, we bought aircraft, we bought lots of weapons for the Army and so on and so forth and you are still saying $2.2bn (was stolen). So, where did we get the money to buy all those things?
“One thing about the issue of corruption is that these matters are in court. Let’s allow some of these processes to end. Lately, some judges’ homes were also invaded. There are so many things involved and we have to follow up these matters to conclusion before we know the fact.
“Yes, there were some issues. Yes, there are still corruption issues but some of it were over blown; I would say exaggerated, and they give a very bad impression about our nation. You cannot say the national security adviser stole $2.2bn. It is not just possible.”
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Timi Frank, urged Jonathan to assist Dasuki to make his case in court.
He said, “First, I wonder why it took former President Jonathan such a long time to speak out. Why now? If Colonel Dasuki is as clean as he wants us to believe, it would be nice if he can assist his former NSA to prove his case in court.
“The courts deal with evidence; let them prove their case.”
Also commenting, the Executive Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said the comments of Jonathan was a way of preparing for his own defence when he was eventually called to question.
Adeniran added, “I am not surprised that the former President made such a statement because he has always demonstrated his ignorance of how much malfeasance took place under his watch.
“He was the chief accounting officer of that regime and believed that all fingers are pointing in his direction, because most of those that have confessed to sharing in the loot have mentioned one way or the other that he (Jonathan) gave approval for the money they expended, the latest of which is Obanikoro and Fani-Kayode.
“He knew that eventually, it will get to him, that was why he was saying that it was not possible for Dasuki to steal $2.1bn, even when he saw people moving more than $9m to South Africa under a non-conventional guise for buying arms and he saw the revelations that even some of his ministers went away with more than $20bn.
“He was just saying that to prepare the ground for his own defence, maybe, when eventually he is called to answer questions. Basically, it’s just a kind of drowning man clutching to the available straw.”
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