Buhari Misled To Approve $469m For Fighter Jets Without NASS Backing - The Cable

President Muhammadu Buhari was misled to approve $469 million for
the procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft from the US without the
backing of the national assembly, a source told TheCable.
The money was said to have been withdrawn from the excess crude
account (ECA).
In August, the US government sold the aircraft to Nigeria to enable
it combat the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east.
An embargo had been placed on Nigeria owing to allegations of
gross human right abuses against the military.
In a letter to the leadership of the national assembly dated April 13,
2018, the president explained that the United States had given
Nigeria a deadline for payment, hence the reason he approved the
money without consulting the legislators.
Buhari also sought the inclusion of the procurement of the aircraft
into the 2018 budget which the national assembly is still working on.
The source said the lawmakers, particularly those in house of
representatives, are not happy with the development, adding that
the president cut short his UK trip in order to address the issue.
In the statement issued to announce Buhari’s trip, the date of his
return was not disclosed.
“The approval for $469 million for Tucano aircraft is an impeachable
offence. What us happening right now is that some people in the
executive set Buhari up,” the source said.
“They made him send a letter to the national assembly and the
letter is saying that money has already been disbursed without
seeking approval which is an impeachable offence.
“This is part of the reason why the president came back into the
country. He is thinking of calling the leadership of the national
assembly for a meeting.
“These people gave the president wrong information. Right the
house of representatives have a copy of the letter that the money
had already been disbursed but then it has not been appropriated. A
lot of members of the house are not happy.”
Efforts to get a reaction from Garba Shehu, spokesman of the
president, were not successful as calls to his phone did not go
through and a text message was not replied.
Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence, had said Buhari gave the
approval for the money to be released but Ita Enang, senior special
assistant to the president on national assembly matters, later
contradicted Dan Ali.
The presidential aide said Buhari had not approved the release of the
money from the excess crude account as claimed by the minister,
adding that the approval given to the federal government by the
national economic council was undergoing the “normal legislative
process” before the national assembly.