I’ve not been to S/Africa in 12 years – Dokubo
By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to explain to Nigerians what Mujaheed Asari Dokubo, was doing on the plane that illegally ferried US$9.3 million to South Africa, where Asari Dokubo, another Nigerian and an Israeli were arrested, according to a published report.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said since the federal government has taken ownership of the funds by saying the National Security Adviser (NSA) issued the end-user certificate for the arms purchase, it stands to reason that the same government will know the involvement of all those aboard the plane.
It said, therefore, that the federal government has a lot of questions to answer on the whole deal, including whether Asari Dokubo is the contractor or the end user, who he was procuring arms for and for what purpose.
APC said the questions become pertinent because even the NSA, who issued the end-user agreement for the purchase, does not and cannot purchase arms for any of the armed services. The Service Chiefs have separate budgets from the NSA for arms purchase.
Under our Constitution, the NSA is an adviser and has no executive powers to deploy troops from any of the services or purchase arms for them. That the arms purported to be purchased from South Africa were ordered from the office of the NSA is nothing but a mere fabrication, and raises serious questions about the motive for the purchase.
“Nigerians will therefore like to know on whose behalf Asari Dokubo was purchasing arms. This is very crucial because Asari Dokubo has been threatening that Nigeria will not know peace if his benefactor, President Jonathan, is not re-elected. Therefore, Nigerians will like to know whether he has started stockpiling arms to make his threat a reality, since elections are due in a few months’ time.
If these arms are meant to fight insurgency, as the government has claimed, what is Asari Dokubo’s business purchasing arms for the Nigerian military, if indeed they were for the military? Does it not occur to the Nigerian government that this man who once took arms against the state may not have jettisoned his sinister plan against the same state? Which country will ever allow a man who once carried arms against the state to now be purchasing arms for the same state? Even if it is true that he is purchasing the arms for the state, what prevents him from also using the opportunity to purchase arms for his own sinister motive? Could this be why Asari Dokubo has been talking publicly and confidently, without official censure, that President Jonathan must be re-elected or Nigeria will not know peace again?” the party queried.
“In our Press Release on Tuesday, we again asked President Jonathan to come clean on the US$9.3 million and US$5.7 million deals. We also asked him to tell Nigerians the identity of the two Nigerians who were on the plane that illegally ferried money to South Africa. Now that the Nigerians are known, and they are the President’s men, the story has taken a new dimension,” it said.
Meanwhile Alhaji Dokubo-Asari has denied any involvement in the $9.3 botched arms deal in South Africa, saying he had not been to the country since 2002.
Asari’s denial followed a call by the All Progressive congress, APC, to the federal government to explain his involvement in the botched deal.
APC in a statement from its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had alleged that Asari was on the flight that ferried the cash to the country.
But reacting to the statement yesterday, Asari who called in via a telephone from Saudi Arabia where he is presently performing the 2014 Hajj rituals said the last time he visited South Africa was in the 2002 and couldn’t have gone to any country without a visa.
“Can you enter any country without a visa? No person can enter any country without a visa. Presently, I am in Saudi Arabia performing my Hajj as the Amirul Hajj of Bayelsa State and this can be confirmed. I flew Flynass from Kaduna on the 27th. So, it is really a shame that Lai Mohammed who has defiled the name of Allah has become a pathological and award winning liar.
“Nobody enters any country without a visa and I have not been to South Africa since 2002. My passport is present. I flew Arik airline from Lagos on the 27 and went to Kaduna where I flew Flynass airline and came to Saudi Arabia.
“APC has reduced itself to a party of liars just the same way their presidential candidate, notorious liar and confirmed dictator, General Buhari stage managed an assassination in other to gain cheap popularity and where more than 100 people were killed and he has not been put on trial. The evil they wish me will be visited on the home of Lai Mohamed forever,” he said.
