Arms Deal: Buhari’s Panel Under Pressure To Probe Ex-Chiefs

Reports say the 14-man panel set up on the order of president Muhammadu Buhari to probe the arms purchase for the Armed Forces, which begins sitting today in Abuja, is under severe pressure.

According to reports on The Nation, some of the retired military chiefs who are listed to tell the panel how the cash voted for their offices was spent, are the ones putting the panel under undue pressure.

Following a statement issued by Ismaila Aliyu, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defence last month, the ministry exonerated itself from whatever discrepancies that may be found in the arms purchase contracts, adding that it was sidelined in the arms purchase arrangement.

President Buhari ordered that the ministry gets a seat on the panel after further disclosure by party that the purchases were made by the office of the national security adviser and the service chiefs.

Recently-appointed National Security Adviser (NSA) Gen. Babagana Monguno had last week inaugurated the panel behind the scene, in view of the seriousness attached to the task, and they spent the last few days collating some facts and figures on Defence budget, allocations for arms purchase and valedictory addresses by some past Service Chiefs.

Fresh reports now have it that the panel is not sure if it should make its sitting open or restrict media coverage following indications that some disclosures might touch on sensitive matters which might affect national security.

Source: Naij.com