DOKUBO INVOLVED IN $9.3M ARMS SAGA, APC ALLEGES Asari Dokubo was doing on the jet that ferried $9.3m to South Africa on September 5. Two Nigerians and an Israeli were on that plane, according to reports by the South African media. In a statement in Abuja yesterday, APC spokesman Lai Mohammed alleged that Dokubo was on the jet, which belongs to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor but was leased to another company before the incident. Mohammed said since the Federal Government has admitted ownership of the cash, government should know the involve-ment of all those aboard the plane. He said government has a lot of questions to answer on the whole deal, including whether Asari Dokubo is the contractor or the end-user, who he was procuring arms for and for what purpose. APC said the questions become pertinent because even the NSA, who issued the end-user agreement for the purchase, does not and cannot purchase arms for any of the armed services. The Service Chiefs have separate budgets from the NSA for arms purchase. “Under our Constitution, the NSA is an adviser and has no executive powers to deploy troops from any of the services or purchase arms for them. That the arms purported to be purchased from South Africa were ordered from the office of the NSA is nothing but mere fabrication, and raises serious questions about the motive of the purchase,” the statement said. “If these arms are meant to fight insurgency, as the government has claimed, what is Asari Dokubo’s business purchasing arms for the Nigerian military, if indeed they were for the military? Does it not occur to the Nigerian government that this man who once took arms against the state may not have jettisoned his sinister plan against the same state? Which country will ever allow a man who once carried arms against the state to now be purchasing arms for the same state?” Mohammed pointed out. “Even if it is true that he is purchasing the arms for the state, what prevents him from also using the opportunity to purchase arms for his own sinister motive? Could this be why Asari Dokubo has been talking publicly and confidently, without official censure, that President Jonathan must be re-elected or Nigeria will not know peace again?” Dokubo has not spoken publicly since the arms cash saga blew open mid-last month, even though allegations of his involvement have been circulating on social media. Daily Trust tried unsuccessfully yesterday to get a response from Dokubo’s lawyer Mr Festus Keyamo. When our reporter called, Keyamo did not answer but he sent a text message to say he was busy. Our reporter then sent texted back asking for reaction to the APC allegations against Dokubo, but Keyamo did not reply to the SMS.
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 07:38:24 +0000
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