Under pressure, NSA denies statement arms funds were missing under immediate past service chiefs.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno, told British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) on Friday that funds meant for the purchase of arms to combat insurgency during the ex-service chiefs’ tenure were missing.
“The President has done his best by approving huge sums of money for the purchase of weapons, but the weapons were not bought, they are not here. Now, he has appointed new service chiefs, hopefully, they will devise some ways,” Monguno said in the interview conducted in Hausa.
“I’m not saying the former service chiefs diverted the money, but the money is missing. We don’t know how, and nobody knows for now. I believe Mr President will investigate where the money went,” Monguno added
He said, “I can assure you the President takes issues of this nature seriously.
“The fact is that preliminary investigation showed the funds are missing and the equipment is nowhere to be found.
“When the new service chiefs assumed office, they also said they didn’t see anything on the ground.”
Apparently under pressure from the presidency and loyalists to some ex service chiefs, Monguno disowned the reportm saying he was quoted out of contest.
He said that he did not categorically say that funds meant for arms procurement were missing under the former service chiefs as reported or transcribed by some media outlets from the BBC interview.
“During the interview, the NSA only reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to deal decisively with insecurity and stated President Muhammadu Buhari’s continued commitment to providing all necessary support to the Armed Forces, including the provision of arms and equipment.
“In the interview the NSA clearly informed the BBC reporter that Mr President has provided enormous resources for arms procurement, but the orders were either inadequate or yet to be delivered and that did not imply that the funds were misappropriated under the former Service Chiefs.
“The NSA also informed the reporter that, Mr President is following up on the procurement process as is usual with contracts relating to military equequipmet.
“In most cases the process involves manufacturing, due diligence and tedious negotiations that may change delivery dates.
“As the NSA conveyed during the Aso Villa media briefing, questions relating to defence procurement should be channeled to the Ministry of Defence.
“All security and Intelligence agencies are working together to bring an end to insecurity with the full support of Mr. President and stakeholders,including the media and civil society as part of a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach to address our security challenges,” he said.
