$15m Arms Deal: Why We Have Been Silent, Says FG

                      

The Presidency, yesterday, opened up on the controversy surrounding the seizure by South Africa of Nigeria’s $15m meant for the purchase of arms for the Nigeria Intelligence Service.

On September 5 this year, two Nigerians and an Israeli national attempted to smuggle into South Africa $9.3m cash conveyed in a chartered private jet which was seized by the South African authorities. About three weeks after, another $5.7m was seized when a South African company that was contracted to help purchase the arms by an Abuja based company tried to pay back the money.

Speaking on the seizure, yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Communication, Dr. Doyin Okupe, explained why the government has been silent on the issue.

Okupe said, “The Nigerian government cannot share all information about the issues because it is a security matter. It is an issue which we cannot just bring to pubic domain. For goodness sake, we need to have some quiet innocent support. I am surprised that Nigerians want to discuss security issues openly and publicly when a war is still going on.

“These are very serious national security affairs and running a government is not the same thing as running a Shoprite, where everything is on the table and on display. There is nothing shady about the South African deal and the Office of the NSA has done very well because at the appropriate time, they came in that, ‘yes, this money belongs to us and this was what it was meant for;’ that explanation itself was okay. There is no hanky panky on this matter.”

He also stated that the second controversial deal has legitimized the first because it was a normal banking transaction.

Okupe said,“A company was mandated to do a national security assignment for the Federal Government of Nigeria and because of the extant laws in South Africa, that company was unable to deliver its contractual agreement with the Nigerian government; the company now wants a refund which is normal.”

The presidency also exonerated the national president of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor from alleged involvement of his aircraft in the controversial $9.3m arms deal in South Africa.

Okupe noted, “the linking of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is the most unfortunate thing; to put the very respectable, responsible, honest and sincere President of CAN in this matter is the extreme of mischief. It just shows you what Nigerians do, they go to any extent to politicize everything. What bothers me here is the manner with which people want to bring down Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor on this matter. It is pure absurdity.

“Oritsejafor has no business in this matter. It is true that he owns the aircraft but there are over 200 private Nigerians who have jets. Apart from those who use it frequently, some give it out to get some money and defray some of the costs. If you put your jet down, you pay money and parking charges everyday. He gave the private jet to a company to manage. The company is handling it and these people gave out the plane that is available.

“What has this to do with Oritsejafor? If I have many cars at the airport and decide to give one to car hire services and he decides to carry somebody having Indian hemp, will you link it up with the man who gave it out? Excuse me, this is ridiculous.”

The presidential aide then advised Nigerians to stop playing politics with every issue of national concern saying it is not in tandem with patriotism.

Vanguard report