By Akeeb Alarape
Embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, said he acted in national interest in the award of arm procurement contracts while in office.
Dasuki was indicted by the probe committee that looked into the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector for allegedly awarding fictitious contracts worth N271.8billion.
But yesterday, Dasuki, who has been in legal tango with the Directorate of State Security (DSS) over the seizure of his travelling documents, stated that he was not a thief or treasury looters as being portrayed by the Presidency.
According to him, he was just a ‘clearing house’ for contracts approved by the former president on the request of the Armed Forces and the Defence sector.
“I have a lot to tell Nigerians but in the interim, they should not believe some of the allegations as the gospel truths. The good thing is that some of the key actors in the present administration were parts of the past process being viciously challenged.
“As for my tenure as the nation’s NSA, I acted in the interest of the nation and with utmost fear of God. I did not use the office for any self-serving agenda. I occupied the Office of the National Security Adviser at a difficult moment in Nigerian history when terrorism was at its peak and I am leaving posterity to judge me accordingly,” Dasuki stated.
He faulted the claim by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina that he awarded contracts between March 2012 and March 2015, saying he was not yet the NSA as at March 2012 but got appointed on June 22, 2012.
Dasuki also picked holes in the findings of the probe committee, which he said never invited him to hear his own side of the allegations.
“There were no fictitious contracts; contract sums were not diverted and the relevant services in writing acknowledged delivery of equipment. For all procurements, the Nigerian Army, the Air Force and the Nigerian Navy have their contractors.
While awaiting judicial process on these allegations, it is proper to make some references to show that the presidency was just desperate to hang some former public and military officers who served this nation at the risk of their lives,” he stated.
Dasuki disclosed that most the contracts awarded and arms and equipment delivered were acknowledged by heads of the services in writing, saying: “It is not for me to go and find out whether the equipment were delivered or not. I am not the one keeping the inventories.
“To show that I have nothing to hide, I submitted a comprehensive list of all requests for procurements by the services, the items bought and those equipment being awaited to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari long before I left office. If there were issues, I should have been questioned. I was just the clearing house, I did not award contracts to my company or proxies. There was no contract awarded or equipment bought without approval from the then President and Commander-In-Chief. I am not a thief or treasury looter as being portrayed.
“In order not to endanger the nation’s security, there are many salient issues and contracts which I cannot put in public domain. I am ready for trial on all these allegations in order to prove to Nigerians that I did nothing untoward in office. We will certainly meet in court,” he added.