The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently address Nigerians on the serial embarrassments to which his administration is subjecting the country in the comity of nations, after another seizure of $5.7million of Nigerian arms money by the South African authorities
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the issues surrounding the first seizure of $9.3million were yet to be resolved before this latest scandal, wondering why the government would want to turn Nigeria to a rogue nation by engaging in money laundering and other acts of illegality, thus devaluing the currency of every Nigerian.
“Again, Mr President, Nigerians are urging you to please come clean on these cash-for-arms scandals. They want you to answer critical questions on the legality of your administration’s repeated conduct. They want to know the identities of the two Nigerians who were arrested with an Israeli in South Africa over the first illegal deal, especially since the Israeli has been named.
“Nigerians want to know why the purported arms procurement for the government is done illegally between private companies that are neither known nor registered for dealing in arms; and why are the movement of monies not transparently documented for what they really are, if they are truly for legitimate purposes?
“They want to know whether indeed the weapons which the government is seeking so furiously to procure are for the battle against Boko Haram or for a sinister motive, considering the desperation of your administration to continue to rule at all costs and by any means possible.
“They want to know whether every Nigerian should begin to fear what will happen in the days and weeks leading to the forthcoming general elections, against the backdrop of your administration and party’s do-or-die politics.
“Mr President, if the funds involved in the latest seizure were sent through bank transfer, can the government explain why Oritsejafor’s plane was stuffed with cash and transported to South Africa?”
$5.7m: We Are Behind Jonathan, PDP Replies APC
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday backed the efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan in the fight against insurgents and lambasted the APC for what it described as the opposition’s attack on the efforts to win the war against insurgency in the country.
Replying the APC over its comments on the $5.7million arms money from Nigeria seized in South Africa, the PDP spokesman, Oliseh Metuh, in a statement accused the opposition party of being in connivance with foreign interests to embarrass the government and people of Nigeria.
PDP said, “We state categorically that the actions preferred by some foreign nations against our dear country as we seek solution to our security challenges are unacceptable and totally uncalled for, especially given our cordial relationship with them and the roles Nigeria and Nigerian citizens played in assisting them in their internal struggles”.
The party also wondered whether the funds being ferried up and down by the administration were appropriated by the National Assembly, or whether they are part of the missing $20 billion oil money.
APC slammed the federal government for issuing childish threats against South Africa, threatening its investments in the country, instead of addressing the pertinent questions surrounding the illegal arms procurement deals.
“Mr President, you cannot threaten another country when your administration is wilfully breaking the laws of that country. In this case, your administration stands on a weak moral ground, as its hands have been caught in the cookie jar.
Therefore, issuing infantile threats is laughable, unacceptable and wrong,’’ the party said.It reminded the Jonathan Administration that nowhere else does a government engage in illegal black market movement of money or arms – both signatures of terrorism worldwide, adding that only terrorists and pariah nations move money and procure arms in clandestine manners as the Jonathan Administration is doing.
‘’Even at a time when we were ruled by military dictators and our country was a pariah nation, we did not experience these repeated and embarrassing national disgrace and clandestine, terrorist groups’ approach to the purchase of arms.
How can Nigeria truly be a respected member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) when our own government and its operatives are self identified and self confessed money launderers?’’
APC queried.The party wondered how many other unknown scandals the Jonathan Administration has plunged Nigeria, and appealed to the Administration to tread softly in the interest of all Nigerians, who will be the ones to suffer the repercussions of the government’s repeated illegal conduct.
“Given the rush with which the APC attacked the Presidency, it is clear that they are working hand in glove with foreign interests in a concerted effort to tarnish the image of our dear nation, ridicule our government and frustrate genuine efforts towards ending the insecurity challenges we face as a nation.
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