Ndubuisi Orji, and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday raised the alarm over the statement by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Mongunu, that he was not aware of the whereabouts of $1 billion approved from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to boost security in the country.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has denied allegations by the PDP that President Buhari spent N1 billion approved for security in prosecuting the 2019 elections.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement, explained that $490 million of the money was spent to order for a dozen Super Tucano fighter aircraft in a direct government-to-government (no contractors or commission agents) transaction with government of the United States.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the NSA’s “confession,” places a huge burden on President Muhammadu Buhari as to how the fund, which was meant to combat insurgency, banditry and other security challenges plaguing the country, was utilised.
Monguno had on Thursday last week, in Abuja, while fielding questions from journalists, reportedly denied knowledge of the whereabouts of the $1billon, which was withdrawn from the ECA in 2017 to tackle insecurity in the country.
However, the opposition party noted that the NSA stance on the $1billion security fund has confirmed its position that the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration is allegedly corrupt, deceptive and unreliable.
“It further validates the stance of the PDP that agents of the Buhari presidency and the APC were hiding under the guise of security to siphon the $1bn from the ECA. This, perhaps, informed the desperation by the cabal to draw from the account without recourse to statutory due process of appropriation by the National Assembly.
“From Gen. Mongunu’s confession, Nigerians can further see why our nation is daily confronted with disturbing videos and reports of our fighting troops protesting their neglect and inadequate equipping, leading to their vulnerability in the fronts.
“Now that the National Security Adviser has declared that he is not aware of the whereabouts of funds, the burden, straightaway, lies squarely on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately address the nation on how the money was handled.
“This is especially as there are already allegations in the public space that certain funds meant for security were diverted for 2019 campaign activities of the APC while our troops languished in the front.
“Our party had always alerted Nigerians that the APC administration was insincere in the handling of the ECA fund leading to our demand in 2017 for the National Assembly to investigate the handling of the $1bn,” the PDP stated.
Shehu said: “We are reacting to PDP that the USD drawn from the excess crude oil account was spent by Buhari on 2019 elections. “The PDP is under a socio-emotional distress. They think that all governments in the world run on the basis of freewheeling looting as they did their own.
“Here is what happened to that USD 1,000 million.
“It’s on record that the Buhari administration paid about USD 490 million for a dozen Super Tucano fighter aircraft in a direct, government-to-government (no contractors or commission agents) transaction with government of the United States
“Various other military procurements have been made. Balance of expenditure stands at about USD 880 million or so.
“Barring considerations of national security, the details of the stage of implementation, the procurements made and the suppliers will be obtained and if your story can wait until tomorrow Monday, a work day, we can give you more or all of the details.
“The PDP spent defence procurement funds on their failed 2015 political campaigns as proven in court. That is not to say every succeeding government, more so one led by a Buhari will do the same.”