President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA) to convene an investigative committee on the procurement of arms and ammunition in the Armed Forces from 2007 till now.
The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was sworn-in on May 29, 2007, succeeding former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Yar’Adua died on May 5, 2010 and his deputy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, succeeded him on May 6, 2010.
Jonathan contested for the presidency in April, 2011, defeated Buhari, who contested on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and was sworn-in on May 29, 2011.
Jonathan was defeated by Buhari on March 28, 2015 and handed over to Buhari on May 29.
To Buhari, all the arms deals when Yar’Adua and Jonathan governed the country must be probed by the committee headed by Air Vice Marshal (AVM) J.O.N. Ode (rtd), with a mandate to identify irregularities and make recommendations for streamlining the procurement process in the Armed Forces.
A statement signed by Buhari’s Special Adviser, Media, Femi Adesina, says the National Security Adviser constituted the Investigative Committee as follows:
•AVM J.O.N. Ode (rtd.) – President
•R/Adm J.A. Aikhomu (rtd.) – Member
•R/Adm E. Ogbor (rtd.) – Member
•Brig Gen L. Adekagun (rtd.) – Member
•Brig Gen M. Aminun-Kano (rtd.) – Member
•Brig Gen N. Rimtip (rtd.) – Member
•Cdre T.D. Ikoli – Member
•Air Cdre U. Mohammed (rtd.) – Member
•Air Cdre I. Shafi’i – Member
•Col A.A. Ariyibi – Member
•Gp Capt C.A. Oriaku (rtd.) – Member
•Mr. I. Magu (EFCC) – Member
•Brig Gen Y.I. Shalangwa – Secretary
“The establishment of the investigative committee is in keeping with President Buhari’s determination to stamp out corruption and irregularities in Nigeria’s public service.
“It comes against the background of the myriad of challenges that the Nigerian Armed Forces have faced in the course of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, including the apparent deficit in military platforms with its attendant negative effects of troops’ morale.
“The committee will specifically investigate allegations of non-adherence to correct equipment procurement procedures and the exclusion of relevant logistics branches from arms procurement under past administrations, which, very often resulted in the acquisition of sub-standard and unserviceable equipment”.
