Arms probe: Presidency doctored report to shield Dambazau, Buratai, says Junaid Mohammed
Abdulrahman Dambazau
…. It Is Not True-FG
A frontline Second Republic politician and Northern leader, Dr. Junaid Mohammed told The Guardian yesterday that some cabal in the Presidency doctored the Arms Procurement Probe Report to shield the former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Interior, Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) and former Director of Procurements, Defence Headquarters, who is also current Chief Of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai.
Mohammed said: “Nigerians should recall that the three Chiefs of Army Staff who served during the period under review included Major General Abdulrahman Dambazau, who is also the current Minister of Interior, Major General Azubuike Ihejirika, Major General Kenneth Minimah and Major General Tukur Buratai, who before his appointment as the current Chief of Army Staff, was Director of Procurement, Defence Headquarters for years.
“The Report of the Committee was doctored in the Presidency by some cabal after it was submitted, to shield Dambazau and Buratai who were allegedly indicted.
“Dambazau is a close ally of Alhaji Mamman Daura, who is President Buhari’s nephew, and also head of the ‘cabal’ in Buhari’s presidency today. Buratai is an ally of Dambazau and President Buhari. So there is no way the Presidency will not shield the duo.”
Mohammed said that there was no way Buratai and Dambazau would not have been indicted in the Report, having served as director of procurement in the Defence Headquarters and Chief of Army Staff under the period reviewed.
“Why is Ihejirika under any form of detention now? Why is he being harassed, when the Presidency is shielding some persons indicted in the report? Is it because he is not President’s ally or not from the North? President Buhari should publish the original copy of the Report, the way that of Nigerian Air Force mess was made public.
“Nigerians should know that as far as the cabal holds sway in Aso Rock, nothing will happen to Dambazua and Buratai,” Mohammed noted.A source in the Presidency who craved anonymity told The Guardian that Dambazua was not indicted in the Report, because during his era as Chief of Army Staff, awarding of contracts and procurement of arms was being carried out by the Ministry of Defence, not office of the Chief of Army Staff.
“It was after Dambazua left office that his successor took charge of awarding of contracts and procurement in the service. So there is no iota of truth in the allegation that the report was doctored to shield him.”
On why Mohammed is alleging that the report was doctored to shield Dambazua, the source said: “You know that Mohammed and Dambazua are from Kano State. It has something to do with politics of the State, and choice of minister from the State. Some persons from the state preferred somebody else, specifically President Buhari’s longtime ally who got himself involved corruption act, not Dambazau, to be minister. They are not comfortable with his choice, but that was the President’s decision.
However, the Federal Government yesterday said there is no truth in the insinuation that the report of the Presidential Committee on the Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Armed Forces (2007-2015) was doctored for whatever reasons.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who stated this in a statement in Abuja, said what has been released so far is the report of the audit covering the period 2011 to 2015, adding that the Committee would commence the audit of procurement from 2007 to 2010 as soon as the necessary documents are available.
He said: ‘’When the documents regarding procurement from 2007 to 2010 are available and scrutinized, 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.’’ He assured that the Federal Government’s anti-corruption fight is non-discriminatory, and called on Nigerians to keep an open mind as events unfold.
No one should attempt to distract government from the seriousness of the issues involved in this audit of defence equipment procurement. It is important to note that even though the total amount spent for procurement and operations within the period were N185,843,052,564.30 and $685,349,692.49, the irregularities in the awards ensured that the military did not get value for money, with very serious consequences,’’ the Minister said.
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21 Comments
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It’s either Lai Mohammed is a daft or highly incompetent. To tell the world auditing will commence when the documents are available. Is he referring to records, which are always available. And the way the public service account is structured, it almost impossible to completely destroy all records. Please stop probing Jonathan, I repeat stop probing Jonathan
Quite unfortunate. When will Nigeria be free from the clutches of evil men, both visible and clandestine?
So Lai Mohammed will commence probing arms contracts of 2007 – 2010 after he has finished wit 2011 -2015; the tail wagging the head – and he says the probe is not targeted at anyone. Buratai was Director Procurement Army Headquarters in the probed period, he purchased million dollar houses in Dubai from his savings in 2014…Dambazzau was being duped of millions of dollars of his “savings” by scammers – and they are clean as whistles. Nigerians may be credulous, but they are not stupid.
I beg to disagree. We Nigerians are stupid. Otherwise why would we accept Burantashi, Amaech and Dambanzza to still be in their posts while such monstrous issues of corruption and credibility gap exists in their CV’s? Can you imagine this being the case in an effective and efficient government in a civilised society?
Your choice of words, Mr. Eyeservis, not mine. I prefer credulous which often is not stupidity.
Eye servis, you the one that is stupid bcos u churn out unsubstantiated information as facts.
For the up tenth time, there was no procurment department prior to Buratai’s appointment. It was Buratai that established Procurement dept.
Only experienced criminally-minded people like these two obviously are will spend millions in whatever currency of government funds without a procurement board, against clearly stated principles set out in the Procurement Act. The more you guys try to justify your brigandage and light-fingeredness, the worse it gets. They even display incompetence at stealing, leaving glowing trails of filthy lucrevall the way to Dubai. Na Olimide say stupidity is taking over…
Why is Buruntashi, who still has fragments of the stolen cookies around his mouth walking around as a freeman? This is an affront on the intelligence of Nigerians by this president.
It is with this report senate can use and impeach mr. President . With unfaithful practice using others as bullet shield and protecting the main pple who are involved. Better for him to be true Nigeria President Not section . Because this issue is what will remove him from office and he Buhari will go for jail for this in the Future .
Buhari has no credibility and his anti corruption crusade is counterproductive. Take it or leave it, there is smoking gun in what Dr. Mohammed is saying. But the duo will not listen. He will listen in the grave.
Where are the chairman and secretary of the committee responsible for the auditing? Communication is key to unraveling mysteries, insinuations and all scandals, but you have kept quiet allowing people to make their judgement and as such pollute the whole country. Why can’t you issue some statement on the controversy? Taking tax payers money without doing a proper job amounts to stealing
This man Buhari only probes southerner majority and northerner minorities
Evil conspiracy
boohari playing the childish game of ‘You cant see me, but I can see you’..
‘They’ ( guess who) are INTELLECTUALLY HOLLOW, but ‘THEY’ ARE CRIMINALLY INTELLIGENT.
CORRUPT and FRAUDULENT MINDSET:- all of them
FIGHTING CORRUPTION WITHOUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND EVEN THOSE IN DETENTION IS BACKWARDNESS. PEOPLE ARE NOT PAID SALARIES, CASH LOOTED AND CONVERTED TO FOREIGN CURRENCIES ARE HIDDEN IN FARMS WHERE DAMNESS, MOTH AND wroth ARE DESTROYING.
THE APPROACH TO THIS FIGHT SHOULD BE CHANGED OTHERWISE THE MASSACRE(DUE TO HUNGER) THAT WILL HAPPEN TO NIGERIANS IN FEW MONTHS TO COME WILL BE WORST THAN WHAT BOKO HARAM HAS DONE.
NIGERIANS MAY BE FORCED TO RISE AGAINST THIS CHANGE TO MAKE NIGERIA WORK AGAIN.
These two guys, Buratai and Dambazau initiated the arms deal investigation, real or imaginary, to get at their perceived enemies and you expect their names to be in the list. These two men have completed their yeomans job in the army for the APC, so wont they be compensated or shielded?
this is good coming from someone like Junaid Mohammed.the world is already aware of the smoke screen corruption that emperor Buhari is fighting.it is unfortunate that we have this set of tribal lords as leader of our country now.We shouldn’t even bother ourselves with this government and whatever their intend doing,but will continue to fight until there is justice in our father land.By restructuring to true and fiscal federalism.
It’s very sad and unfortunate that we have leaders that have eyes but can not see,leaders that have ears but can not hear.Can anyone in this government explain to Nigerian’s why they are refusing to listen to patriotic voices and restructure this country.Any side or region that thinks,their are favored by this evil system are enemies to themselves and to Nigeria.Buhari should be patriotic and put the interest and survival of Nigeria above any other interest.He should stop taking orders from the BRITISH AND AMERICAN PEOPLE and listen to voice of reason.He should stop allowing them to be pulling and dragging us backward.No white man wants anything good for a black man.Nigeria is the pride of black race all over the world.It is time Buhari should be patriotic to look,think and act for tomorrows sake.This evil system only favors lazy and corrupt people and Nigerian’s are not that,We only need a good and favorable environment,where there is justice and equity to show the world what we are capable of doing. The country is ripe and crying for restructuring so that it can witness progress,peace and unity.The benefit of restructuring is uncountable for everyone.It will bring development,it will bring employment,corruption will be a thing of the past,crime will reduce and Nigeria will be an attraction for people all over the world.All the six regions have what it takes to be great and make Nigeria greater.
nigerians cry for restructuring outside of government, but when they get in restructuring is the last thing on their mind
I will take a corrupt achiever any day over an incompetent ‘angel’. Anything that could go wrong is now going wrong. Sai Buhari.
We will review and take appropriate action.