Dasukigate: Ndume wants Jonathan prosecuted

Former President Goodluck Jonathan should face trial if he covertly instigated the sharing of the $2.1 billion arms procurement money, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume said on Thursday.

Ndume 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.

Ndume, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, 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 many 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.

Read also: Goodluck Jonathan’s (Un)dignified Silence

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

The Senate Leader, who said he was defending President Jonathan, said he approved that this money be used for procurement of arms, adding that if however the law says he should be one of the people that should give account or face justice, then he should not be spared.

Insisting that the former President, who gave the directive to buy arms, should have also verified if the arms were bought, Ndume said: “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.”
Speaking on the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Ndume frowned against the way it has been blown out of proportion.

According to him, he has been on trial for about four years for a greater allegation of sponsoring Boko Haram and wondered why it has not attracted the same attention as that of Saraki.

“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’, Ndume said.

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