Munguno and his gaffe on BBC
By Usman Danjuma
These are indeed interesting times. It is obvious that some individuals are out on a self-serving mission not minding whose ox is gored. The recent statement credited to the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungono, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service wherein he stated that the monies released for the purchase of arms by President Muhammadu Buhari could not be traced neither the arms supposedly purchased found.
I am constrained to add a voice to this unintelligent statement coming from the mouth of the National Security Adviser for two reasons. One is the fact that he has systematically informed the country that his principal President Muhammadu Buhari is not in charge, and secondly is the fact he has failed in his capacity as the National Security Adviser to render quality advice to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
As a start, I beg to ask these questions: why did the NSA wait this long before coming to the open to allege that monies meant for procurement of arms were not adequately utilized? Was there no mechanism in place to check the disbursement of funds of such magnitude? Was the President not in the know if monies meant for arms purchase were not adequately utilized? what arms and ammunition have been in use in the prosecution of the war against the Boko Haram insurgency since 2015?
As a concerned Nigerian, I am highly disappointed that the present administration cannot seem to get it right when there is a national security adviser that elects to play to the gallery most times to justify his continued stay in office.
If this is not the case, I consequently wonder what would have necessitated such a careless statement. Let us make no mistakes, this is not about speaking the truth, it is about calling a dog a bad name to hang it. Yes, that is what it is because the statement was unnecessary in this material time that the country is grappling with scores of security challenges.
This is indeed low in the sense that the NSA has displayed to the general public that we have a government that is not in tune with reality and a government where anything goes. That is what it is. Unless the NSA wants to tell the generality of Nigerians that all the supposed assurances from the government in addressing insecurity in the country are a mere charade.
This is my take and I stand to be corrected. Is there a possibility that hundreds of billions meant for arms purchase would be diverted to private pockets just like that? Is there also a possibility that the former service chiefs would be so bold to undertake such ventures without thinking of the implication of their actions? I am amazed.
In my considered opinion, this is just an attempt at discrediting the former service chiefs, which ironically has turned out to expose the hypocrisy of some of those occupying positions of authority in the country.
The NSA ought to know better and also to realize that he has indicted himself by making such unsubstantiated allegations in the public space. I think he was just only trying to be clever by half but ended up making a mockery of the present administration as one lacking in a clear cut policy direction with regards to addressing the security challenges in the country.
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I am also constrained to ask since when arms procurement is done by the various branches of the Armed Forces in the country. But just in case the NSA elects to feign ignorance, the former Service Chiefs never handled any special procurement fund. The One Billion US Dollars approved by NEC was released to the Ministry of Defence and not the Nigerian Army or any other arm of the armed forces as alleged by the NSA.
This is also on the heels that arms procurement in the country has always been between the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Defence. So if this has been the case, where does the allegation by the NSA stands? I think it would be succinct to mention that in April of 2020, the Nigerian Army took delivery of high-grade armored tanks and artillery trucks purchased by the federal government.
The armaments which were built to the specification were ordered from China after that country’s state-owned China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco) won the federal government’s bid for the acquisition of military hardware in 2019.
It was gathered that China won the bid for the military equipment following its flexible maintenance policies and durability of the equipment it had supplied the country including warships built for the Nigerian Navy (NN). Equipped with the latest artillery and armored technologies, the armaments have the ability to wage war from multiple fronts with technologies that aid visibility in cloudy or smoky weather. It was also gathered that Nigeria is the first country in the world to have these vehicles, which were built to carry a minimum of 12 armed personnel housed securely within. And it is on record that these weapons were acquired through the Ministry of Defence.
Also in October of 2020, the Nigerian army took delivery of key platforms to reinvigorate her operations. These include the VT4 and FT1 tanks, the KIA light tactical vehicles as well as the SH2 and SH5 self-propel artillery guns.
It is also public knowledge that Six of the 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft on order for the Nigerian Air Force have been manufactured and training is underway in the United States ahead of delivery. Currently, Nigerian Super Tucano personnel are training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. The first Nigerian Super Tucano flew in April this year with deliveries from 2021. The list is indeed inexhaustible and it is such a sad tale that the NSA would elect not to be circumspect in his pubic utterances.
Through local ingenuity, the Nigerian Army has facilitated the production and delivery of Proforce and [DICON] Ezugwu MRAPs, as well as Conqueror and Champion APCs. The 4×4 Ezugwu was unveiled in September 2019 by DICON and features two gun turrets on the roof.
It is being manufactured in collaboration with the Nigerian Army Command Engineering Depot (CED). It is armored against small arms fire and using flat-bottom armor technology, its hull can withstand a 7 kg TNT explosion whilst each wheel can withstand a 12 kg TNT explosion.
Like I mentioned earlier, these are indeed interesting times because we have an NSA that seems to be sleeping on his job and when he woke up from his slumber, he decided to go public in an unprecedented manner that speaks volume of mischief in a narrative that is not only false but a total misrepresentation of facts.
This attempt is indeed puerile and of poor taste and must be disregarded by all well-meaning Nigerians. Just in case, there is also a likelihood that the NSA was quoted out of context. And if that is the case, the onus thus lies on the NSA to put the records straight in the public space.
I would advise at this point that the NSA should engage in endeavors that would bring about much-needed peace and stability in the country. This is particularly important if we are desirous of addressing the security challenges in the country. This is my two cents.
Danjuma wrote from Abuja.
