Arms Deal: Jonathan Asked To Fish Out Moles In Defence, Security Agencies

President Goodluck Jonathan has been advised to fish out saboteurs in security agencies, who are bent on scuttling efforts made in the fight against insurgency.

In a statement yesterday, Umar Farouk, National Coordinator, United Nigerians Forum, said this had become necessary to save the country from major security crisis.

Blaming those he called “moles” in the defence and security agencies as being responsible for the brouhaha about Federal Government’s move to buy arms in South Africa, he said such people were crying wolf where there is none because they lost out in the arms purchase programme.

“So, moles in defence and security agencies as well as their business competitors who lost out in bids for such supplies must not transfer their anger on the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), whose sole business is to sign end-user certificates after all constitutionally required procedures have been satisfied. And after he signs the certificate, it is not within the purview of the NSA to determine how the companies transact their businesses. To continue to do this, will not take them anywhere and neither will it change the law,” he said.

Calling on Jonathan to act, the group’s leader stated: “It is high time the president fires the moles that have initiated this public hate against government, just because they have lost out of what they thought would be a another drain pipe for their self-serving interest.”

Explaining how arms had always been bought in the country, Farouk said it had always been the responsibility of the office of the National Security Adviser to sign “end-user certificates,” as was the case in the botched South African arms purchase.

He explained that this was the case in previous government, wondering why it was being made an issue now.

His words: “In line with known global best practices and conventions, the office of the National Security Adviser has the sole and statutory responsibility to sign the end-user certificates for all purchases that have to do with explosives, including those for construction companies, fertilisers, body armoury, vests, armoured vehicles, bullion vans, etc.

“The above explains why current Minister of Defence, Aliyu Gusau, as coordinator of National Security during the IBB era, signed all end-user certificates (EUCs) for such purchases. As the longest served NSA, he signed all EUCs during Olusegun Obasanjo administration and the initial period of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

“It is for same reason that former NSA, Abdullahi Mohammed, did the same during the Abdulsalami Abubakar government; the same as then NSA, Sarki Muhktar, in the late Umaru Yar’Adua administration and the late NSA, Owoye Azazi, in part of the President Jonathan administration.”

Querying why people were talking about the fact that Col. Dasuki, as national security adviser, signed the end-use certificates, he said: “We wish to ask what is new in current NSA, Sambo Dasuki, signing end-user certificates for companies bringing arms to Nigeria? Once he is satisfied that all required procedures have been settled, it rests on the NSA to sign the EUC as any such document without his signature is fake.”

He stated that the activities of unpatriotic elements in the defence and security “must stop,” adding: “Need we recall that many people have cried out for long that our military are poorly equipped?”

He wondered why people against the purchase of arms, when government needed the equipment to combat insurgency.

Sunnewsonline.com