Account for $3.5 billion arms fund, PDP challenges federal government

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded an explanation from the federal government on how the $3,5 billion allegedly meant to purchase arms for the country was expended.

The opposition party stated this in a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Thursday.

It said with the fresh $2.5billion arms scandal reportedly involving the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, who himself had earlier claimed that $1 billion meant for the purchase of weapons under the immediate past service chiefs could not be traced, the Buhari-led APC administration oozes with corruption.

It also called on the National Assembly “to conduct a joint open inquest into the funds and other monies drawn purportedly for the security of our nation under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.”

Below is the full statement:

Fresh $2.5bn Arms Scandal: Buhari Presidency, APC stink

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the revelation of another $2.5bn arms purchase scandal in which officials of the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration were named is another ugly testament of the stench of corruption oozing out from the Buhari Presidency and the APC, as a party.

The party alerts that with this fresh $2.5 billion arms scandal, reportedly involving the National Security Adviser (NSA) Gen. Babagana Monguno, who had earlier revealed that $1 billion also for arms cannot be traced, an alarming $3.5 billion (N1.3 trillion) meant for purchase of weapons to secure our country under the Buhari administration has been looted.

The PDP stressed that the exposed barefaced contract scam in the $2.5 billion scandal as well as the outright disappearance of the $1billion as earlier revealed by the NSA, show the level of corruption and unscrupulousness among APC leaders and their agents, who are stealing
funds meant for arms while our citizens are daily marauded, pillaged and murdered by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

In fact, the unending exposure of sleaze in the security architecture of the Buhari-led administration has further heightened apprehensions in the public space that the security situation has been turned into a huge racket for corrupt enrichment of sneaky APC leaders and the cabal in the Buhari Presidency.

It is more distressing that instead of standing on the side of the people to demand for a clean-up of the system and recovery of the stolen funds, the APC, as a party, is rather desperate to justify acts of corruption, because its leaders and officials of its government are involved.

Our party demands that the Buhari Presidency should come clean and offer explanations on both the $2.5 billion and $1 billion.

Furthermore, the PDP restates its call to the National Assembly to conduct a joint open inquest into the funds and other monies drawn purportedly for the security of our nation under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary