Connect with us
Advertisement

Nigeria News

COAS, Reps In Stalemate Over $1 Billion Arms Deal

Published

on

Nigeria Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen Attairu Ibrahim’s appearance before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating arms procurement ended in a stalemate yesterday, Naija News reports.

The ad-hoc committee had several times invited the COAS and the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele for explanations on the $1 billion arms deal but the latter had refused to make any appearance until on Monday, April 12.

Having missed the 22nd of March and the 7th of April invitation by the committee, Ibrahim on Monday, showed up before the Committee members, but refused to apologize over his inability to attend prior invitations.

Naija News understands that during his appearance on yesterday, Ibrahim told the committee that he was unable to make it to the summons due to different engagements over internal security.

The COAS is said to also refused to speak on the report he submitted to the committee.

Speaking before the ad-hoc committee, he said; “An explanation is as good as an apology. Even a blind man knows that there are internal security challenges in the country. The same way you work for the people, that is the same way I work for the people. I have a command under me and they are also Nigerians.

The COAS said the executive summary should suffice. His position, however, stirred up anger in some members of the committee who argued that he should speak under oath.

Bede Eke, a member of the Committee asked the “COAS to speak on the road, to be sure that it emanated from the office of the COAS.”

Meanwhile, a month ago, the Presidency said that the Nigerian Army has been having problems with the procurement of arms from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this while speaking on a Channels TV live programme.

He, however, noted that the equipment have been coming in bits and in pieces due to a misunderstanding between Nigeria and the UAE.