A pressure group, Save The Nation Movement (STNM)has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to include the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai in the list of army cheifs (past and present) who are to be probed in connection with the arms scandal involving the former national Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
This is in reaction to a statement by Buhari’s Senior Special Adviser on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, stating that the following army chiefs are to be probed: Air Chief Marshal AS Badeh (Rtd), Air Marshal MD Umar (Rtd)Air Marshal Anice Amosu (Rtd), Maj-Gen. ER Chioba (Rtd), AVM IA Balogun (Rtd),AVM AG Tsakr (Rtd), AVM AG Idowu (Rtd), AVM AM Mamu, AVM OT Oguntoyinbo, AVM T Omenyi, AVM JB Adigun, AVM RA Ojuawo, AVM JA Kayode-Beckley, Air Cdre SA Yushau (Rtd), Air Cdre AO Ogunjobi, Air Cdre GMD Gwani, Air Cdre SO Makinde, Air Cdre AY Lassa, Col N Ashinze, and Lt Col. MS Dasuki (Rtd)
The Save The Nation Movement wondered why the current COAS, who was the director of procurement at the defence Headquarters between 2012 and 2015 would not be included in the list.
The statement read in parts: “Major General Tukur Buratai was appointed director of procurement DHQ in 2012, a position he held until May 2015 that he was appointed force commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTNF), an appointment he held till he became chief of army staff,” Steven Chilaka, national secretary of the movement, said in a statement issued on Sunday.
“As director of public procurement at the DHQ, all procurements by the military between 2012 and May 2015 passed through his office. Our question is; how can you probe procurement of arms within this period without the involvement of Major General Buratai, the man who was the director of procurement?
“Could procurements have been made without his involvement during the period that he was director of procurement?
“Definitely, it won’t be funny if President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption is also selective against the military as it already appears to be against the political class and the president must look into this obvious case of selective probe as a matter of urgency.”
