PMB Reveals Why US Refused To Sell Weapons To Nigeria
THIS DAY reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, July 22, said the US Leahy Law which prohibits the US Department of State and Department of Defence from providing military assistance to foreign military units that violate human rights with impunity “aided and abetted” the onslaught of the Boko Haram terrorists group in Nigeria.
The law which is named after its principal sponsor, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont was the main reason the US government refused to sell weapons to the Nigerian Army last year and even went ahead to stop Israel from selling Cobra helicopters to Nigeria. Apart from Nigeria, other countries that have been affected by this law include; Bangladesh, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan.
President Buhari during a speech at the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), pleaded with the US government to review the law in order for it to give the needed assistance to Nigeria in crushing Boko Haram. He went further to note that in the case of Nigeria, the Leahy Law was applied by the US on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations levelled against the Nigerian Armed forces, a development that had denied the country access to appropriate strategic weapons to wipe out Boko Haram.
Buhari said: “In the face of abduction of innocent school girls from their hostels, indiscriminate bombings of civilians in markets and places of worship, our forces have remained largely impotent because they do not possess the appropriate weapons and technology, which they could have had, had the so-called human rights violations not been an obstacle.”
THE NATION reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has hinted that crude oil thieves, including former ministers and prominent individuals would be prosecuted. He made this known while speaking on Tuesday, July 21, at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington D.C., United States at a meeting with members of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) as part of his four-day visit to the U.S.
The President, who declined to give the names of these ex-ministers and individuals, said they plundered Nigeria’s economy by stealing one million barrels of crude oil daily, selling the stuff overseas and lodging the proceeds in their personal accounts. He said they have been put on notice that the law is coming after them.
He promised that his government would recover the mind-boggling sums of money stolen from the oil sector. Buhari told NIDO members that: “250,000 barrels per day of Nigerian crude were being stolen and people sell and put the money into individual accounts.”
DAILY SUN reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has made public the fraud and corruption in the oil sector, narrating how officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources made millions of dollars daily from illegal crude oil sales. The President, however, promised that his government through the help of the United States government will trace the accounts of those involved, freeze them, recover the stolen funds and prosecute the culprits.
He made this known while addressing members of Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in the United States and Canada at the Nigerian Embassy, in Washington DC. He said the oil sector reeks of corruption. Buhari said: “corruption in the country has developed into a culture where honest people are abused. Two hundred and fifty thousand barrels per day of Nigerian crude are being stolen and people sell and put the money into individual accounts.”
The President, however, expressed joy that the US and other advanced countries are helping Nigeria to trace such accounts, adding that such accounts will be frozen and the owners would be prosecuted. He said the amount involved is mind-boggling as some ex-ministers sold about one million barrels per day. Buhari said: “I assure you that we will trace and repatriate such money and use the documents to prosecute them. A lot of damage has been done to the integrity of Nigeria with individuals and institutions already compromised.”
Meanwhile, tragedy struck yesterday, July 22, at Arepo area in Ogun State as THE GUARDIAN reports that no fewer than 100 suspected petroleum pipeline vandals were roasted to death following an explosion that occurred at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline in the area.
Witnesses said the vandals were busy scooping fuel gushing from damaged pipelines when the fire erupted. According to The Guardian correspondent, the fire reportedly raged till 2.30 p.m. The area is said to be under the protection of the Odua People’s Congress (OPC), but was left unprotected following the withdrawal of the OPC members by its leadership over non-payment of their contract fee by the Federal Government. It was gathered that some of the vandals that survived the incident were battling to put out the raging fire while others sneaked away the bodies of their burnt colleagues in canoes.
THE PUNCH reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has invited Toyin Saraki, the wife of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for interrogation over alleged shady contracts during her husband’s tenure as the governor of Kwara State. The anti-graft agency also invited the daughter of the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua, Mrs. Zaina Dakingari, who is the wife of the ex-Governor of Kebbi State for questioning.
Reports say Saraki’s wife is scheduled to appear before EFCC interrogators on July 28, a day after Yar’Adua’s daughter would have been questioned. It was gathered that Mrs Dakingari, is to answer questions on the alleged misappropriation of N2 billion state funds, while Toyin Saraki is being investigated for several contracts executed by companies said to be linked to her while she was the first lady of Kwara state during her husband’s tenure as the governor.
A source within the commission told The Punch correspondent in Abuja that: “The commission has invited the wives of two former state governors, Mrs. Toyin Saraki and Mrs. Zaiba Dakingari. Mrs. Dakingari was supposed to have appeared before the commission on Wednesday (yesterday) but she sent a message that she was outside the country and would honour the invitation on July 27, 2015. She is to provide an explanation in relation to N2bn state funds.”
The anti-graft agency spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, also confirmed that the commission had sent out invitations to some wives of former governors but claimed he did not know their identities.
Source: Legit.ng
