DASUKI GATE: Speak Up, Nigerians Tell Jonathan

■Nigerians demand explanations from ex-president
IN the face of further revelations on how ex-National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd) allegedly diverted $2.1billion approved for arms purchase, notable Nigerians have added the firepower of their voice to the call on former President Goodluck Jonathan to speak up and clear the lingering mist over the matter.
The trio of Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Senator Femi Okuroun­mu and Col Gabriel Ajayi (retd), spoke in response to the call made by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Abdulahi Jalo, at a press conference, where he urged the erstwhile president to shed light on the issue.
Promptly, like a person stung by a bee, Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secon­dus, had tackled him, saying that Jalo’s view was not the position of the party, stressing that the PDP national officer had only bared his personal opinion.
As the dust raised by Jalo’s comments continued to swirl, Sunday Sun sought the views of notable individuals. Senator Durojaiye, a respected Yoruba leader, gave his views a philosophical slant, saying, “Sometimes, silence may be more eloquent than oration. What happened is beyond fiction. What excuse has anybody at the helm of affairs of any organization where so much went wrong to give? I don’t know how he can escape being asked questions. We have not known the full extent of the damage done to the economy. If by the end of the exercise he has not spoken, people will say: ‘By the way, how could you sit on the throne and all this much went wrong? What have you to say?’ He cannot keep silent forever on this issue. He has to speak sometime sooner than later. But he may decide not to talk until he is specifically asked. Inevitably, from the way things are going, he will dare to speak. What is happening is in the area of security and they say it is a tip of the iceberg.”
He, however, cautioned that Jonathan talking now may be a diversion in view of the investigation still going on. He said: “We tend to be too much in a hurry in this country. We want to correct the wrongs of 16 years in one hour. His talking now may even be a diversion. Let them go on with the investigation steadily, and speedily too, to unearth all the debris. So, we should not be too much in a haste.”

Durojaiye further maintained that Jonathan reserves the right to speak or not to speak in exercise of his fundamental right until the anti-graft body extends its invitation to him.
“He has a fundamental right to speak or withhold from speaking. Those who have been speaking have provocation to speak; they were invited to speak. If as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is going on with its work, and finds out that there is something he must answer to, nobody is above the law, they should ask him. Then, he really has to speak. But if he is not asked any question, he must maintain his dignity not to talk,” he added.
Senator Femi Okurounmu, who also spoke with Sunday Sun reporter, held similar view, saying: “Given his status, he should not maintain his silence but he should not just speak out like any ordinary person. I think he should have a way of communicating with the current Head of State and let his own position be known to President Muhammadu Buhari. Even if it is a private discussion, he should discuss with Buhari and let him know his own position. That is my view. But he needs not make it public. He should not make it a media event.”

In the same vein, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Chief Meckson Innocent Okoro, challenged Jonathan to summon courage and speak out to, at least, save his face in the unfolding drama. His words: “Jonathan was the man in charge when the whole thing came up and there is no how he won’t speak up. He would take responsibility for unfolding drama. His words: “Jonathan take responsibility for the whole thing because it all happened in his tenure. He should defend Dasuki and explain what the money was meant for, otherwise it would seem as if Dasuki was on his own and that the whole thing was planned. He should not claim he was not aware. Even if he was not, he should take responsibility because the thing happened during his tenure. That is what leadership is all about. If he refuses to speak, it means he is running away from his responsibility.” ­Also, a retired senior military officer, Col Gabriel Ajayi, in his own contribution to the matter, said it had become imperative for Jonathan to keep his good reputation intact by breaking his silence and avail the nation the details of what transpired in the arms money. “At times, silence might not be golden. I think the past president has set up an ethical revolution which we all know. He did a wonderful thing by conceding defeat and that makes him honourable. He should be able to do everything possible to assist Nigeria’s development. From the point of view of his love for the country which he served for six years, he should speak up. If he keeps quiet, that ethical revolution can be lost. Apart from being a former president, Jonathan is a Nigerian like you and I; so, he owes a responsibility to contribute to the Nigerian Project. I don’t want him to see it as something targeted at him. He should see it as a process in our national development. It should not be seen as a vendetta. There’s nothing wrong in him coming out to speak. Let’s see Nigeria as our country and not as party men. He should speak and untie the knot. Maybe he is waiting for the golden time. He is not doing it because of the PDP, but for the people that voted him to rule us for six years,” he stressed. ­

At the said press conference called by him, Jalo had not minced words when he told newsmen: “As all of you know, no single kobo can be spent by the Federal Govern­ment without an act of the National Assembly. Money earmarked for arms purchase, some people diverted it to something else. So many people that you cannot even expect were involved. Now, darkness has come to light. Jonathan is alive; he should clarify whether he asked the ex-NSA, Dasuki, to divert money meant to fight Boko Haram into his campaign. I’m from the North east and I know the terrible security situation our people are facing there. The money was meant to fight Boko Haram and we all know that you can’t rule without peace. Now darkness has given way for the light.

He spoke further: “It was not only members of the PDP that shared the money. Members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Accord Party and the Social Democratic Party, among others, also shared. At least, Chief Olu Falae is not a member of the PDP. All of them should return the money. Then, former Presi­dent Jonathan must speak on it. He is still alive. Did he ever say anything like this to Dasuki: ‘Go and take from the money meant for the war against Boko Haram and share for my campaign? It is time for him to speak up.”
His comments did not go down well with Secondus, who dissociated the party from Jalo’s comment, this way: “There was no time we discussed at the National Executive Committee (NEC) that Jonathan should speak on the arms deal scandal. There was no time such a thing came up at the NEC. So, Jalo must be expressing his personal opinion.”

When Sunday Sun sought to know the exact position of the party from Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a member of the BoT and NEC, the two highest decision making bodies of the PDP, he said the stakeholders had not taken a definite stand on the matter. He further disclosed that the BoT meeting where the matter was supposed to be discussed was postponed.
His words: “We were to have a meeting of the BoT of the party today (the past Thursday) but it was postponed. I don’t actually know the position of the PDP on the matter yet. I am both a member of the National Executive Council and the BoT. So, we don’t know yet the position of the PDP on the Dasukigate affair. And I don’t want to give any opinion outside the party’s,” he said.
The Sun.