Why Jonathan Should Face Trial Over Arms Deal Scandal – Ali Ndume

Senate Majority Leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, Thursday said that former President Goodluck Jonathan should face trial if he covertly instigated the sharing of $2.1billion given to former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, to buy arms.

He also said that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state.

Ndume who spoke to reporters in Abuja noted that if Jonathan who approved $2.1 billion for the purchase of arms turned back to give directive secretly that the money should be shared among his cronies, he should be prosecuted.

He said, “I do not want to dabble into that being one of the victims of the insurgency. My house was taken over by insurgents and my town was declared a caliphate of the insurgents. My Emir was killed while these people were smiling to the banks with the money that was meant to buy arms and ammunition.

“It was for lack of ammunition that the Nigerian Armed Forces had to run away.

“As far as I am concerned, these people are living on blood money, the blood of so money innocent citizens of this country particularly from the North East.

“No justice is too much for them, nobody is supposed to be spared. Because the case is judicial and I am not a lawyer to determine who should be brought to book, what I am saying is that justice should be served.

“Over 10,000 people have lost their lives, at one time you could see my people were slaughtered like chickens and the reason why this happened was because our army was not equipped and not well kitted.

“And somebody made away with the money meant for the procurement of arms and ammunition.

“I am not defending President Jonathan but he approved that this money be used for procurement of arms. So if the law says he should be part of those that should be part of the accountability or those that should face justice, I think nobody should be spared.

“I really don’t want to make comment on that but anybody that is involved in that blood money should be held responsible.

“If the President approved that money in the name of buying arms while giving a directive that it should be shared among his cronies, then he should face the law.

“If anybody is supposed to buy arms and you gave them money to buy arms, as the president, after some time you should ask `where are the arms anyway.”

Let me add and clearly that is my position, if because of this or any other criminality Jonathan should face the law, he should, I did, I am facing the law.

“Nobody is supposed to be above the law, if Jonathan is a culprit he should face the law: if there is evidence that the former president should face the law then he should. After all, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

On the trial of the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, by Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), he said that the issue is being blown out of proportion.

Ndume wondered why his own trial on allegation of being a Boko Haram sponsor, is not getting the kind of attention Saraki’s trial by the CCT is receiving.

He said, “Do you know that I am still in court on a more serious issue.

“The President of the Senate is in court for assets declaration but I am in court for a more serious issue that I am alleged to be a sponsor of Boko Haram

“I have been in court for four years so why is it not an issue.

“I have not complained, it is not a big deal. I am still the Leader of the Senate and my role is as important as that of the President of the Senate but it is not a big deal.

“Why are you making his own case a big deal? I think the Nigerian press trivializes things, dramatises issues, and concentrates on events and personalities instead of ideas: does that help us?”

The killings going on in Rivers State, Ndume said that Governor Wike should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state.

He noted that as the Chief Security Officer of the state, Wike should on top of situation in his state.

The Senate, he said, has always “condemned what is happening severally, not just in Rivers but anything that is happening that has to do with loss of lives and criminality we stand to condemn it.”